Nước Chấm Steak Bowls
Nước Chấm Steak Bowls
Prep Time: 20–30 minutes (active), plus 30 mins – 24 hours (inactive)
Cook Time: 10–15 minutes (plus resting time)
Servings: 4
Ingredients
2 flank steaks (~2 lbs total, 1 lb or 16 oz per steak)
1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
~ 10 sprigs cilantro, stems included, roughly chopped (~⅓ cup)
Zest of 1 lime
Kosher salt
1 tsp neutral oil
Nước chấm (based on this recipe by Huy Vu)
½ cup fish sauce
¼ cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
3 tbsp garlic, minced
4 thai chili peppers, thinly sliced
⅓ cup water
Rest of ingredients
6 oz dried vermicelli noodles, cook according to package directions
Butter lettuce, 3-5 per serving
1-2 carrots, peeled and ribboned (or julienned)
1 small cucumber, julienned
3-4 scallions, cut into 2-3 inch chunks
Cilantro and mint, to garnish
Directions
Make the nước chấm: Add the fish sauce, granulated sugar, and lime juice to a bowl. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved.
Add the minced garlic and Thai chili peppers, stir to combine.
Marinate the meat: Make small puncture marks on the steak with a knife or a fork about 8-10 times on each side.
In a large ziploc bag or bowl, add half of the nước chấm sauce, along with the zest of 1 lime, the soy sauce/tamari, and the cilantro stems. Add the steaks to the marinade, seal the bag, and coat them. Marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, up to 24 hours.
To the reserved nước chấm sauce, add ⅓ cup water. Keep the thinned sauce in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
Cook the meat: Take the steak out of the fridge 45 minutes - 1 hour before you start cooking. Remove the steaks from the marinade and pat them dry, removing excess cilantro and chili pepper pieces. Season lightly with kosher salt on all sides.
Heat a large cast iron over high heat. Add 1 tsp neutral oil if it’s looking dry.
Sear the steaks until a crust forms, 3-4 minutes, then flip and continue cooking them until the internal temperature is 120 F (medium rare).
Remove the steaks from the pan and allow them to rest for 20 minutes.
Assemble: In each bowl, add some of the vermicelli noodles, cucumbers, carrots, butter lettuce, and garnish with the cilantro and scallions.
Slice the steak into thin strips (~½ - 1 cm thick) and place the desired amount of steak slices in each bowl alongside the sides. Eat with the reserved nước chấm sauce.