Vietnamese Dish with Antlers.

Now before you get too excited over the title of this blog post, I didn't really use antlers in the recipe, but the meat I used did have them at one time. That creature is the Elk and after getting a new supply from hunting buddy Charlie, I knew it was time to play once again in the kitchen. Originally I was going to try Philly Cheesesteak, but then I thought about a dish I hadn't tried since moving from Pennsylvania. In the Lancaster area, we had a few Vietnamese restaurants and one of our favorite meals was "Beef with Crispy Potatoes". I learned to make a version of this dish to have when we couldn't afford to go out and have a restaurant make it for us.

Now to prep the Elk, I placed the steaks in a plastic container and drizzled a little red wine vinegar over them, sealed the container and placed it in the refrigerator for 6 hours. This was to tenderize the meat and take some of the gamey flavor out of it. After that, I rinsed off the meat with cold water and cut it into strips, as the recipe required, and just followed the directions thereafter.

The conclusion? There weren't any leftovers; it was simply amazing! There was one very difficult part of the meal preparation though and that was the homemade potato chips. The problem? To not eat them all before the entire recipe was completed, they were so good and I may never buy bagged chips again. As they were draining on the paper towels, I sprinkled a little fine sea salt on them and tried one, then two, then another and another....STOP!...or there would have been none left.

So here is the recipe for "Beef with Crispy Potatoes" made with beef, but substituting another meal, like Elk, can be just as awesome.

Beef with Crispy Potatoes

Ingredients:

1 lb sirloin or round steak, cut into 2” slices, 1/8” thick
½ cup each of diced red bell pepper and onion
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp chili sauce
¼ cup teriyaki sauce
2 large red skinned potatoes; cut into 1/8” slices
Peanut oil
¼ tsp ground black pepper
¼ cup diced green onion

Preparation:

Place steak, red bell pepper, onion, ginger, garlic, chili and teriyaki sauces in a large zippered plastic bag; seal, mix together well and refrigerate for 2 hours.

After 2 hours, fill a deep skillet halfway with peanut oil; bring oil to 350F. Put ¼ of potatoes into skillet, fry for 7 minutes, turn slices over and fries another 5 minutes. Remove to paper towels to drain; repeat process with remaining potatoes.

After all potatoes are fried, remove all but 4 Tbsp of oil from skillet. Place marinated ingredients from plastic bag into skillet; cook steak till browned. Add fried potatoes and black pepper to skillet; mix with steak and cook another 5 minutes. Garnish with green onion.

Makes 6 servings.

Mary Cokenour
September 11, 1998

Vietnamese Flavors

Vietnamese Cuisine

Vietnamese cuisine is defined by the region from which it originates: Northern, Central or Southern Vietnam.  Many ingredients are commonly used in all three regions: fish sauce , soy sauce, rice, fresh herbs , fruits and vegetables.  The fresh herbs commonly available are:   lemongrass , mint , Vietnamese mint , long coriander and Thai basil leaves.

In Northern Vietnam, the colder climate limits the availability of many herbs, spices, fruits and vegetables.   To obtain a spicy element to the cuisine, black pepper is used instead of chilies.  It is also not bold in any one element of tastes (sweet, salty, spicy, bitter, or sour), but light and balanced with flavors.   While beef, pork and chicken are fairly limited, freshwater fish, crustaceans, and mollusks (prawns, shrimps, crabs, oysters, mussels) are more widely used. Many popular dishes of Northern Vietnam are crab based; fish sauce, soy sauce, prawn sauce, and lime are among the main flavoring ingredients.

In Central Vietnam, the mountainous terrain creates an abundance of spices and chilies which provide more heat to recipes.  Hue, once the capital of the last dynasty of Vietnam, maintains the culinary tradition of highly decorative and colorful food, reflecting the influence of ancient Vietnamese royal cuisine.

In Southern Vietnam, the warm weather and fertile soil enable the growing of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables; as well as livestock breeding.  The cuisine is flavored with more exciting additions such as garlic, shallots, and vibrant fresh herbs.  Sugar and coconut milk are also more often used in Southern cuisine dishes; being influenced by foreign cuisines such as China, India, Thailand, and even the French.

Beef Pho

Pho, pronounced “phuh” (the ph sounds like “f”), is a Vietnamese noodle dish.  Primarily beef is used for the dish, and it serves as a meal that can be eaten at any time (breakfast, lunch or dinner)

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz) package rice noodles

2 qts beef broth

½ lb raw rump steak, thinly shredded

1 small onion, peeled and chopped into rings

6 Tbsp. fish sauce

¼ tsp minced garlic

2 fresh hot red or green chile peppers, cut into rings (optional)

½ of a green onion, diced

4 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro and mint

 4 iceberg lettuce leaves, washed and finely shredded

 Preparation:

Soak the noodles for 30 minutes in warm water, until just soft; drain and keep warm.  

In a large stockpot, on medium-high heat, bring the beef broth to a boil; add shredded beef and onion rings, cook for 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to low; add in fish sauce and garlic; cook another 5 minutes.

Ladle beef, onions and broth into bowls; add noodles, chile rings, green onion, cilantro, mint and shredded lettuce.

Makes 4 servings.

Mary Cokenour

March 23, 2011