Our Recipes

SPICY LEMONGRASS STEAK BÁNH MÌ

Serves Four

Spicy Lemon Grass Steak

Adapted from West Coast Prime Meats Cooks © 2015

Sweet Chili Sauce

Ingredients

  • One cup Mae Ploy sweet chili sauce
  • One tablespoon Thai basil, finely chopped

Instructions

Thoroughly mix the chilli sauce and Thai basil. Hold refrigerated until use. Should be made the same day you make the sandwiches.

Pickled Daikon and Carrots

Ingredients

  • Two daikon roots, peeled and matchstick cut (to make 2 1/2 cups)*
  • Two large carrots, peeled and matchstick cut (to make 2 1/2 cups)*
  • Two cups rice wine vinegar
  • One tablespoon salt
  • Three tablespoons white sugar

*Matchstick cut is a 1/8-inch by 2-inch cut. Pre-cut daikon and carrots can be purchased at most Asian markets for convenience.

Instructions

  1. Place daikon and carrots in a large, lidded container.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the rice wine vinegar, salt and sugar until dissolved.
  3. Pour vinegar mixture over the daikon and carrots, seal the container and place it in the refrigerator.
  4. Allow the vegetables to pickle for at least eight hours. Drain before use.

Chile Aioli

Ingredients

  • One cup extra-heavy mayonnaise
  • One tablespoon chipotles in adobo sauce, puréed

Instructions

Thoroughly mix the mayonnaise and chipotle purée. Hold in the refrigerator until needed. This can be made up to two days in advance.

Lemongrass Marinated Steak

Ingredients

  • Two pounds petite tender shoulder steak (teres major)* 
  • Four cloves garlic, peeled
  • Quarter-cup ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
  • Four cups rice wine (we suggest the Michu brand)
  • One cup dark brown sugar
  • One cup soy sauce
  • One stalk lemongrass (white part only, chopped)
  • One cup yellow onion, peeled, cored and minced
  • Two cloves garlic, peeled
  • One tablespoon powdered turmeric
  • One tablespoon Vietnamese fish sauce
  • Two kaffir lime leaves
  • Quarter-cup vegetable oil

*Any lean grilling cut like a flat iron or hanger steak will work well with this recipe.

Instructions

  1. Combine the four cloves garlic, ginger, rice wine, brown sugar and soy sauce in a medium sauce pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
  2. Turn the heat down to medium-low and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and cool completely.
  4. In a food processor fitted with a chopping blade, add the vegetable oil, lime leaf, fish sauce, powdered turmeric, two cloves garlic, yellow onion and lemongrass. Pulse and then blend the mixture until smooth.
  5. Drizzle in the soy/rice wine reduction. Make sure the ingredients are fully combined.
  6. Remove any sinew or silver skin from the steak.
  7. For every four ounces of steak, use one ounce of marinade. For example, if you have a one-pound steak, use four ounces of the marinade.
  8. Marinate steaks for at least four hours, preferably overnight.
  9. Grill to desired doneness (145 degrees for medium rare), let rest for five minutes and then slice thin against the grain.

Assembly per Sandwich

Ingredients

  • Four ciabatta rolls, toasted*
  • Four tablespoons Chile Aioli (see recipe)
  • Sixteen to twenty slices marinated, cooked steak (see instructions)
  • Eight tablespoons (half cup) Sweet Chili Sauce (see recipe)
  • Two cups Pickled Daikon and Carrots (see recipe)
  • Two cups cucumbers, peeled, seeded and matchstick-cut (1/8-inch by 2 inches) (approximately two medium cucumbers)
  • Four jalapeño chiles, cut in 1/8-inch slices
  • Four teaspoons cilantro, washed and rough-chopped

* For the sandwich, we use a ciabatta bread that is made especially for Mendocino Farms, but any good quality ciabatta will do.

Instructions

  1. Cut each ciabatta in half and toast. Spread one tablespoon Chile Aioli evenly on each side.
  2. Top the bottom half with six slices of warm steak.
  3. Top the steak with two tablespoons of Sweet Chilli Sauce, making sure to coat the meat well.
  4. Add half a cup of Pickled Daikon and Carrots, half a cup of matchstick-cut cucumbers, one sliced jalapeño and one teaspoon chopped cilantro, taking care to distribute the vegetables evenly throughout the sandwich.
  5. Finish with your top piece of bread and serve immediately.

Copyright © 2015 by Amy and Craig Nickoloff and West Coast Prime Meats
Recipes reprinted with permission of the owners.

Contributor

Photo credit: Mendocino Farms

Mario del Pero
Co-Founder, Mendocino Farms

Mendocino Farms

What defines a great sandwich? That is the question Mendocino Farms co-founders Mario del Pero and Ellen Chen have worked...
Visit their website:
Visit their website: http://www.mendocinofarms.com