Bun Bo Xao (Wok tossed beef and lemongrass)

LUKE NGUYEN: This is such a quick and simple dish to prepare and its a favorite of mine. At Red Lantern, we serve this as a light lunch. I love that I can taste the flavor of the wok flame on the beef. The heat of teh beef and the scent of lemongrass on cool vermicelli noodles and crunchy bean sprouts is a great example of balance of hot and cold.

Bun Bo Xao (wok-tossed Beef and lemon grass)  - serves 4-6

1 pound beef sirloin or rump steak
3 lemongrass stems, white part only, finely chopped
2 Tab. Asian fish sauce
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tab. oil
1 small onion, sliced
2 tea sugar
pinch salt
pinch fine white pepper
Vermicelli salad for serving  (recipe follows)
1 tab fried shallots (how to follows)
1 tab. chopped roasted peanuts  (how to follows)
2 tab. dipping fish sauce (how to follows)

Slice the beef into 1/16 inch strips and combine in a bowl with 2 tab lemon grass, all the fish sauce, and half the garlic. Allow meet to marinade 10 mins.
Pour half oil into wok, over medium heat and fry half onion, half remaining lemon grass, and half remaining garlic for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant. Increase heat to very high and add half the beef and its marinade to the wok. Stir fry for 2 minutes, then remove the beef from the wok. Repeat with remaining beef, onions, lemongrass and garlic. Return first batch to the wok, season with salt, sugar, pepper, and continue to stir fry to heat through.
Serve on top of vermicelli salad. To finish, top with friend shallots, peanuts and dipping fish sauce.
Vermicelli Salad
rice vermicelli cooked in  boiling water for five minutes, or according to instructions on packet.

Divide bean sprouts, 1 small cucumber, 1 handful perilla leaves (torn) 1 handful mint leaves (torn), 1 cup sliced iceberg lettuce, between 4 bowls.
Dress with 1/2 cup dipping fish sauce, 1/4 cup scallion oil, 1/4 cup fried shallots, 1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts
Dipping fish Sauce (Nuoc Mam Cham) - makes 1 cup
3 tab Asian fish sauce,
3 tab rice vinegar
2 tab sugar
2 cloves garlic
1 birds-eye chilli
2 tab. freshly squeezed lime juice 
Combine fish sauce, rice vinegar, sugar with 1/2 cup water, in saucepan, stir over low heat, till just before boiling point. Allow to cool.
To serve add garlic, chilli and lime juice.
Roasted Peanuts (Dau Phong Rang)
1 1/2 cups raw shelled peanuts
In a dry wok, stir fry the peanuts over a medium heat until the peanuts are cooked to a soft brown color. Crush the peanuts in a mortar until coarsely ground. The roasted nuts will keep in an airtight container for up to two weeks.