Curry-Scented Grilled Beef Lettuce Wraps
Making lettuce-and-herb wraps filled with well-seasoned grilled morsels is a quintessential Viet way to eat. It’s fun and healthful too. This recipe was inspired by beef wrapped in wild betel leaf (bò nướng lá lốt), a favorite. Plentiful in Vietnam but rare outside of Little Saigon markets in America, the heart-shaped, edible leaves magically release a peppery, incense-like aroma during cooking. I conjure up the leaf by seasoning the meat with curry powder, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and lots of black pepper.Good ground beef, the kind you’d make excellent burgers with, is perfect. Peanuts lend texture, and the water hydrates to prevent a dry finish. With the rice noodles, you have a one-dish meal; but skip them for a low-carb dish. To make a beef rice bowl, see the Notes.
