Grilled Beef Rolls (Bo La Lot)

We sampled and relished these small grilled beef parcels in Hoi An, in Vietnam. The restaurant specialized in grilled foods, the hot smoky atmosphere adding to the exotic ambience of the Far East. How do you go about recreating that food memory? I find perilla leaves at H-Mart so I give it a try. 

Perilla or sesame leaves are blanched in hot water, cooled in ice water and then patted dry. Minced onion and garlic are sauteed till light brown, cooled and added to ground beef. Five spice powder, fish sauce, turmeric powder and palm sugar enhance the beef. A tablespoon of beef is rolled tightly in the perilla leaf. Skewered on bamboo sticks, the rolls are grilled stovetop and served warm. All they need is a squirt of Sriracha and you have an exotic beef roll!

GRILLED BEEF ROLLS (BO LO LOT)

Serves 2

1/2 lb Ground Beef

2 tablespoons minced Onion

1 Garlic clove, minced fine

1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil

3 teaspoons Fish Sauce

1 teaspoon Five Spice Powder

1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder

1 teaspoon Palm Sugar OR Jaggery OR Brown Sugar

1 teaspoon Lemon Zest

A Pinch of Kosher Salt

12-15 Perilla or Sesame Leaves

Bamboo Skewers

Oil Spray

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan. When oil sizzles add onion and garlic and saute till light brown. Cool.

Place ground beef in a bowl. 

Add fish sauce, five spice powder, turmeric, palm sugar and cooled onion to beef. Mix well. Add a pinch of salt.

Heat water in a saucepan. 

Keep another bowl of ice cold water nearby. 

Dunk one perilla leaf in hot water for 30 seconds and then drop it in the cold water. Do the same for all the leaves. 

Spread a kitchen towel on the counter. 

Shake off as much water as you can and place the leaves on the towel. Pat them dry. 

Take a leaf and put one tablespoon of ground beef in the lower part of leaf. 

Fold lower part over beef. 

Fold the sides over the beef and make it into a log. Roll as tightly as you can. 

Repeat with the same process with all the leaves. 

Place two logs together. 

Use 2 skewers to hold them together.

Heat a grill pan. 

Spray pan with oil spray.

Place the skewers in the pan. Spray logs with oil spray. 

Grill for 7-10 minutes over medium flame, turning the skewers a couple of times till meat is cooked and rolls have grill marks.

Serve warm.

Pin It