Text 4602, 123 rader
Skriven 2008-03-29 19:57:00 av JIM WELLER (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av HAP NEWSOM
Ärende: Re: spousal support
===========================
-=> Quoting Hap Newsom to Jim Weller <=-

 ->  HN> I expecting in a year
 ->  HN> or two she'll be talking about her doctorate as well....she's a 
 ->  HN> perpetual student!

 -> Ah you have one too! Roslind is threatening to do the same.

 HN> Just make sure you don't do anything except 
 HN> say "yes dear" ....and write the checks ! 
 HN> chat with you soon
                         
She likes your attitude.

I keep telling her to go back to work so that I can retire.

MMMMM-----Meal-Master - formatted by MMCONV  2.10

     Title: Beef In Wild Betel Leaf (La Lot)
Categories: Vietnamese, Beef
  Servings: 4

      1 lb ground beef, chuck
           preferred
           Seasoning option #1:
    1/4 c  minced scallion, green and
           white part
      2 ts fish sauce
           Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
    3/4 ts ground black pepper
      1 TB Madras curry powder, Sun
           brand preferred
           Seasoning option #2:
      2 TB finely minced lemongrass
      2 ts Madras curry powder, Sun
           brand
    1/4 c  minced scallion, green and
           white part
      2 ts fish sauce
  1 1/2 ts oyster sauce
    1/4 ts salt
    3/4 ts ground black pepper
      1 ts cornstarch
      4 oz la lot leaves, stems
           attached
      1 TB neutral flavored oil
      1    recipe Basic Dipping Sauce
           (nuoc cham), made with the
           addition of
           minced garlic

Fragrantly seasoned grilled rolls of beef wrapped up in wild betel
leaf (la lot) are a favorite Vietnamese snack that's great with cold
beer or white wine. When the rolls are cooking, the perfume of Piper
sarmentosum is mesmerizing and fills the room. Shiny on one side and
matted on the other, the soft, pliable leaves don't have much
character until heat is applied to them, at which point they release
their sweetly spicy, incense-like fragrance. (Many recipes suggest
substitute grape leaves but what's the use? Those leaves are devoid
of the fragrance that these have and that's the beauty of this
special ingredient!)

La lot ("lah loht") is sold at many Vietnamese and Chinese markets
on Styrofoam trays. Look for ones with healthy green color on the
leaves. The heart-shaped leaves are shiny on one side and matted on
the other. A few holes here and there are okay. Once home, snip off
the bottom 1/2 inch of stem and put the leaves in a small container
partially filled with water. Loosely cover with a plastic bag and
refrigerate for up to four days. I've found that this is the best
way to keep them fresh and perky.

My husband, Rory, loves beef in la lot and my mom taught him a
nifty, old-fashioned trick for rolling them up. Instead of skewering
the rolls to hold their shape and to grill them, she dispenses with
the skewers and uses the leaf stem to secure the roll in place. She
then broils them in the oven. No burnt up bamboo skewers to deal
with. Rory is now our family's master of making these rolls. "Even a
white guy can do this," he says.

The rolls are tasty on their own, but many people like to dip in a
little nuac cham sauce, the ubiquitous Vietnamese dipping sauce. I
often serve these with a tangy pickle of daikon and carrot for
textural and flavor contrast. 

There are two seasoning options here. You can play with it by mixing
up the seasonings first, tasting it and making any adjustments
before adding the beef. Sun brand of curry powder, sold at many
gourmet markets and even at Amazon (!), has wonderful sweet
coriander and cumin notes that harmonizes super well with the betel
leaves.

1. In a bowl, combine the beef with one of the seasoning options and
cornstarch. Use your fingers to mix well. Set aside to marinate
while you prepare the leaves.

2. Use scissors or your fingers to detach the leaves from their
center stems. Make sure to keep the leaf stem attached to the leaf.
You'll need it later for creating the rolls. Rory puts the leaves
matted side facing up so they're efficiently ready to roll and he
doesn't forget which side the meat goes on.

3. To make the rolls, put a leaf on your work surface, matted side
up. Take a bit of meat (about 2 tablespoons) and use your hand to
shape it into a small sausage of sorts. Place the meat on the leaf,
about 1/3 of the way below the pointy tip. The length of the sausage
doesn't need to span the full width of the leaf because the leaf
shrivels during cooking, Rory says. I like to get the meat to span
the full width so that there's moisture from the meat to prevent
less charring during cooking. It's your choice.


  From: Andrea Nguyen Www.Vietworldkitche
 
MMMMM-------------------------------------------------

Cheers

YK Jim


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