Grilled Beef In Grape Leaves With Sweet Sour And Spicy Dipping Sauce Recipes

SWEET AND SOUR STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine vinegar and sugar. Bring to a boil, then lower heat, and simmer until a thin syrup forms, about 10 minutes. Let cool in pan.
• In a medium saucepan, bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add 1 1/2 cups of the rice, and salt. Boil until rice is al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain and let rice cool.
• In a medium skillet over medium-low heat, heat oil and add onions. Sauté until golden, about 10 minutes. Add raisins and barberries and sauté a minute or two. Add rice, sour salt, lemon powder or lemon juice, and 2 to 3 tablespoons vinegar syrup (enough for a balance of sweet and sour). Save remaining syrup.
• Pour 1/2 cup water into a heavy 5-quart pot and scatter in remaining 3 tablespoons rice, to prevent leaves from sticking to pot. On a work surface, place a grape leaf dull side up, and place 1 tablespoon of rice mixture close to the stem. Fold over both sides of leaf and roll up to close. Place seam side down in pot, continuing until there is a single tightly packed layer. Scatter half the apricots and prunes on top. Make a second layer and scatter remaining fruit on top.
• Add 1/4 cup water to reserved syrup and pour over stuffed grape leaves. Place small heat-proof plate on leaves as weight. Cover pot tightly, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer until leaves are tender, about 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature.

VIETNAMESE BEEF GRILLED IN GRAPE LEAVES: BO LA LOT

Steps:

• Mix together the beef, shallot, garlic, lemongrass, sugar and fish sauce in a bowl.
• If using grape leaves, rinse, drain and pat them dry. Put about 2 teaspoons of filling in the center, slightly closer to the wider end. Fold the wide end over the filling, fold in the sides, and then roll up carefully, making sure the filling is completely and tightly enclosed. Repeat the process with the remaining leaves and beef mixture.
• Depending on length of skewers, slide 3 to 5 beef rolls crosswise onto each skewer. Grill over a barbecue (make sure flames have subsided and coals are red, with white ashes) or on a well-oiled grill pan over medium-high heat, about 2 minutes per side. Serve with Nuoc Cham sauce for dipping.
• Whisk together the sugar, water, fish sauce, and lime or lemon juice in a bowl, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the garlic, chile, and shallot if using, and let stand for 30 minutes before serving.

GRILLED BEEF IN GRAPE LEAF

Steps:

• MIx all of the ingredients for the grape leaf beef (except the grape leaves) thoroughly. Roll into 1/2 ounce logs and wrap each log with a grape leaf.
• Skewer the grape leaf beef and grill on both sides until done, about 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside.
• To serve, place one leaf of each herb in each of the lettuce cups. Remove the beef from the skewers and stack them on top of each of the lettuce cups 2 by 2 by 2.
• Prepare Lemon Grass Sauce - reference recipe # 316596 and pour into a ramekin and place on the plate next to the beef. Stack the carrots and jicama on the plate.
• Wine recommendation: Pair with a spicy red, e.g. South African Pinotage from Hamilton Russell or Diemersdal.

GRILLED BEEF IN GRAPE LEAVES WITH SWEET, SOUR, AND SPICY DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Soak the grape leaves in several changes of water to get rid of the brine flavor. Separate the leaves and blot dry. Trim any stems and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine the beef, shallot, sugar, lemongrass, garlic, and fish sauce. Mix until well combined. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Divide the beef mixture into 32 equal portions (about 1 tablespoon per portion). Place a grape leaf flat (widest side closest to you) on a clean kitchen towel. Shape 1 meat mixture into a 1 1/2-inch-long sausage and place it horizontally across the wide end of the leaf. Fold the wide end over the filling once. Fold the sides in and roll up as you would a spring roll, enclosing the meat. The roll should be compact and fairly tight. Repeat to make 32 rolls.
• Thread 4 grape leaf rolls on 2 parallel bamboo skewers, leaving space in between the rolls. Repeat with remaining skewers and rolls. Brush each roll with vegetable oil. Heat a grill pan over high heat. Grill the rolls, flipping them once the oil becomes shiny, until crisp and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve with Sweet, Sour, and Spicy Dipping Sauce.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, lemon juice, and fish sauce, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the garlic and chiles. Let stand for 20 minutes before serving. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
• Yield: 6 servings