This is my take on Bún Thịt Nướng which is a Vietnamese dish consisting of rice noodles and grilled or barbecued pork. Here, I used beef instead of the pork and adapted the recipe from this link here for Vietnamese marinated flank steak. The ingredients combine to create a savory and sweet explosion of flavors. I marinated the steak in a traditional fish sauce marinade and then seared and broiled it. Slice it thin and serve it over rice noodles with some fresh greens and veggies of your choice! Sooo good.
serves 4-6
Ingredients
1+ pound Flank steak
For the marinade:
just under 1/2 cup fish sauce
1 Tbsp lime zest
1/3 cup fresh lime juice (from about 3 limes)
2 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
Noodles and extras:
1 Package of Rice noodles
Optional add-ins: Fresh spinach, salad greens, mint, scallions, Julienned carrots and radishes, crushed peanuts, sesame seeds
Place your steak (I used just over a pound of flank steak) in a gallon plastic bag. Combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl and set aside half of it to use as extra sauce for later. Pour the remaining half into the bag and massage the mixture over the steak. Once coated, let the steak rest in the fridge for at least 1/2 an hour but even longer if you have more time. Half an hour is enough time for the steak to soak up the flavor though.
I like to broil the steak in a cast iron skillet, so first I sear it on the stove top to get the crispy, caramelized crust before broiling. Heat 1-2 Tbsp. of olive oil in the skillet and then over high heat, sear the meat for about 2 minutes. Flip the steak and then put your skillet directly into the oven to broil. Your pan should be on the top rack of your oven. You only need 2-3 minutes for rare and 4-5 for medium so cook it to your desired level of “doneness”.
Once you remove the steak from the oven, move it onto a plate or cutting board and let it rest covered with foil for about 10 minutes before slicing. Remember that flank steak needs to be sliced against the grain.
Cook your rice noodles according to the package directions and then set your bowl up to your liking. Garnish with things like greens, cucumbers, radishes, carrots, scallions, mint, peanuts, and sesame seeds. Go simple or elaborate, it’s up to you, but this is an easy, can’t miss meal, that doesn’t take a lot of time and it always delicious!