Text 10022, 117 rader
Skriven 2007-01-05 21:10:00 av JIM WELLER (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av MICHAEL LOO
Ärende: serving sizes 822
=========================
 -=> Quoting Michael Loo to Jim Weller <=-

 ML> What equates with disease is lack of exercise

Certainly a factor.

 ML> not meat intake.

Many would disagree.

 ML> I'm tired of those lean, anhedonic nutritionists
 ML> trying to rule my life.

I will not be one of them.

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

     Title: Pho Cuon Rolls
Categories: Vietnamese, Beef
  Servings: 1 batch

           pho broth
           brisket
           chuck roast
           Banh Uot rice flour sheets
           Asian basil
           scallion tops
           cilantro or sawtooth
           dipping sauce:
           hoisin sauce
           sriracha sauce
           pho broth

When I made a *big* pot of Pho broth on Friday and Saturday, I cooked
more beef than usual in the stock so that we'd have "extra" meat to
experiment with.  I cooked two (really well trimmed) briskets, a large
piece of boneless chuck, and a rump roast.   Some of each of those meats
was set aside for yesterday's experiment with Pho Cuon.

Then yesterday, Hung came over and brought some fresh Banh Uot. These
are not "rice paper wrappers," they are more commonly and more
accurately described as steamed rice flour cakes or sheets.  Making them
is possible - but I don't know anyone who does, we get them at the
market. They're tender in the mouth, almost melt in the mouth, yet
they're pliable and reasonably durable to work with, opaque white, they
glisten.

We sat down with the Banh Uot, the meats which I had already sliced and
stored in Pho broth, the usual condiments, and spent some time playing
and experimenting with different approaches.  And decided Pho Cuon are a
revelation.  Ambrosia.  :-)

Here's what seemed to work best for everyone involved.  Roll out flat a
Banh Uot sheet.  Top it with a single layer of very thinly sliced beef
that was cooked and stored in Pho broth (and still wet with broth).  Add
just a tiny amount of finely chopped Asian basil and scallion tops, and
also cilantro if you like it, or even sawtooth if you usually put that
in your Pho.  Add nothing else, and now just roll up the sheet.  Press
the edges of the Banh Uot together, set this one aside and go make
another roll.

When you have a number of rolls prepared, get a very sharp knife, dip
the edge in some water, and cut the rolls into bite-size pieces that can
be lifted with a chopstick.

Now make a dipping sauce that may antagonize northern Viet purists but
will please southerners and virtually any non-Viet diner.  First, mix
together roughly equal portions of hoisin sauce and sriracha sauce -
adjusting the amount of sriracha according to your preference for
chilis.  Now thin that mix to the consistency you want by diluting it
with pho broth.  That makes a dip sauce that fully captures the
distinctive flavors of Pho and is a lot more suitable than anything that
might be made of fish sauce.  We did *try* using some Nuoc Cham for
dipping, but it was just *wrong*.  A thin sauce of hoisin, sriracha, and
broth was just so obviously *right*.

Hung and I both agreed that those rolls were delicious, and a bit of a
surprise.  It was exactly like eating Pho, but without a bowl and
without the sound effects.  (Sssssssllllllurrrrrrpppppppppp).
Housemates liked them and ate that for lunch with some salad greens, and
some Viet friends who came over to watch the Eagles game enjoyed them
throughout the game...  and ate *all* of them

The only notes I'd add are that very thin slices of brisket and chuck
both work and taste better than rump, and probably better than any
round.  The rolls hold together best if you lay the meat on the sheet
perpendicular to the direction you plan to roll them.  They can be eaten
whole, unsliced, but probably only by those used to handling awkward
foods with chopsticks; sliced is more convenient and comfortable for
people and makes the item easier to dip.  Also, if one makes Pho using
oxtail rather than marrow/knuckle bones, the meat pulled from the tail
segments would also be a perfect filling for these...  but collect that
meat when it's completely tender but not yet overcooked, and then store
it in broth.

Hung said he planned to show these Pho Cuon to some friends who own a
restaurant that most of us have worked in at one time or another, and
see what they think.  As a restaurant has giant pots of Pho stock going
all the time, and already has a suitable variety of meats...  these
things might be a popular menu item.  The taste of Pho, but without the
long term commitment of ordering an entire bowl.  -simon
                   
From: Simon Bao To: Gastronomique@yahoo
 
MMMMM-------------------------------------------------

Cheers

Jim, in Yellowknife




... Dear Santa, I can explain....
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