Sometimes I find myself in an eating rut. For someone who loves to cook, I eat out or order in far too often. Even I’m surprised at how often I end up skipping the kitchen in favor of letting someone else prepare my meal for me. What can I say? I’m lazy. And by the time I get home from work I’m exhausted. While the idea of actually cooking doesn’t usually bother me, the thought of cleaning up afterwards is more than I can take.
So we get pizza.
Boring. And, to be honest, not all that tasty.
There’s no excuse. I have an entire category on here devoted to Quick Weeknight Meals. There are hundreds of great restaurants within in fifteen minute drive from my house. And, if I really wanted, I could make my own pizza in the amount of time it takes to get one delivered. That would taste better. And that wouldn’t require a ton of time spent on cleanup.
So. I recently made a resolution that if I was going to be lazy and not cook for myself, I at least deserved to eat something good. Not pizza. Not fast food. Not a salad with twelve million calories from a chain restaurant.
Which lead me to discover a great Vietnamese restaurant that I had never been to before, despite the fact that it’s practically walking distance from my house. (It probably is walking distance, but there we go with that whole lazy thing again.)
And that restaurant has lead me to discover that Vietnamese food consists of more than just pho. Like their mussel appetizer, where mussels are served on the half shell drizzled with a sweet and spicy coconut curry. Or Bun Thit Nuong, grilled pork served over vermicelli, which has quickly become my favorite thing to order.
When I received a gorgeous enamel coated, cast iron dutch oven the other day (keep reading to find out how you can get one too!), I immediately decided that I wanted to make something loosely inspired by that dish. It was too hot outside to eat soup or stew, so a richly flavored braised beef served over a cool noodle salad seemed like it would hit the spot. Which it did. Despite the seemingly simple ingredients, this dish was bursting with flavor. As it bubbled and sputtered away in the oven, the most incredible aroma filled the house – mysteriously, it reminded me of cinnamon!
Vietnamese Braised Beef Rice Noodle Salad
Ingredients
- 1 Tbs oil
- 4 beef short ribs about 1.5 pounds, trimmed of excess fat
- 2 shallots thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 3 Tbs fish sauce
- 1 Tbs soy sauce
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbs crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 cups beef stock
- 2 servings rice noodles vermicelli
- 2 carrots peeled and shredded
- 1 cucumber peeled and shredded
- 1 jalapeno minced
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 lemon juiced
- 2 Tbs fish sauce
- ¼ cup cilantro or mint torn
- 2 Tbs chopped peanuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Heat the oil in a dutch oven or heavy, oven safe pot, over medium heat. Add the ribs and sear on each side. Remove the ribs and add the shallots and garlic. Cook until softened. Add the ribs and the remaining ingredients back into the pot. If necessary, add enough water to just cover the ribs. Cover and place in the oven. Cook for 3 hours, or until the meat is fork-tender.
- Remove beef from braising liquid and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve over noodle salad.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Remove from heat and add the noodles. Allow to stand for 15 minutes, or until the noodles have softened. Drain. Toss together the noodles with the remaining ingredients.
1. I was inspired by the simplicity: cooking doesn’t have to be all about measurement and exactness. Cooking is about feeling! The way they just threw everything together was beautiful.
2. I would make either the dish you posted on this page (that braised beef) or some short ribs and wine…mmmmmmmmmm.
I found two parts inspiring in particular.The first one was Dario’s ability to throw a meal together with abandon. It amazed me to watch him add a bit of this and a handful of that to the beef without even pausing to taste it!!!Secondly the gathering of everyone at the table to partake in a simple meal made with love….oooh how I wish I could’ve been there to share in that.We should all be so lucky.
I would prepare a delicious African beef stew with tomatoes and white navy beans in my new dutch oven and share it with my family. Bliss.
Now this is how to get out of a rut! I simply love Vietnamese food and feel fortunate that we actually have a Vietnamese restaurant in our little town. I really want to start cooking it at home though, and this looks like a good recipe to start with!
I am not a beef eater but the rice noodle dish looks so appetizing.
I’m glad Regional Recipes could provide the inspiration to get you out of your rut. I was so pleasantly surprised when I discovered that Vietnamese food was more than just soup…not that I have anything against soup. But a girl needs some variety in her life! The beef looks so tender and delicious and that salad is so pretty and colorful. I love the dish…thanks for submitting it!
My favorite part of the video is how much they emphasize eating locally. Food is just so much better in quality when it’s not shipped 2,000 miles before it gets to you!
I would make a good pot of baked beans!
I know what you mean about getting in a rut… been feeling that way myself lately. Part of it is this gorgeous weather – I just want to be outside after work while the sun’s still out. Oh well…
As for the video – my favorite part was getting to see Dario, who I recently read about in “Heat” by Bill Buford, in action. He is truly the character that Buford wrote about – amazing.
As for what I would cook -I’d love to try coconut curry braised short ribs. I’ve tried them in the crockpot, but I just don’t think it’s the same as a dutch oven.
I agree- cleaning up is the daunting part of cooking. This dish looks amazing- way better than takeout. Josh loves thin beef strips. And what a rockin giveaway.
1. Most inspiring- the beautiful countryside! Cooking with bone marrow though? ugh…that makes my vegetarian tummy turn haha (even though I cook meat…bone is a little much for me!)
2. I’d make brisket for Josh! Its something I’ve never made before but have always wanted to make, and I know Josh would love it.
My favorite part was watching Dario’s dramatic way of talking in Italian. I would have loved to have tried that braised meat – incredible!
What would I make with my new dutch oven? I would braised short rib beef in red wine until it falls off the bone.
The Vietnamese Beef Salad looks scrumptious! I love all of the fresh flavors and textures.
Absolutely love Vietnamese food, but have never made it. Your dish looks wonderful.
Can’t pick out just one thing: it’s all the vibrant colors! What would I make? Beef with red wine, carrots and mini onions. Make it happen 🙂
As usual, your meal looks amazing!
1. There are a few inspiring pieces, such as the part about cooking simply and cooking for friends. But I like the part showing the Bucchio (sp?), the cattle are treated much differently there than the mass market places around here. We do have local farms and I think it is good to support them more often.
2. I think my first meal in the dutch oven would be something savory, probably a hearty/spicy meat sauce. Or peach cobbler.