Ingredients
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- ¾ cup (185 ml/6 fl oz) rice vinegar
- 3 red chillies, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 500 g (1 lb) beef fillet
- 75 g (2½ oz) lettuce leaves, shredded
- ½ cup (10 g/¼ oz) mint
- 1 small Lebanese (short) cucumber, sliced
- 400 g (13 oz) tin chopped tomatoes
- 12 rice paper wrappers (plus a few extras to allow for breakages)
Method
1. Combine the onion and ¼ cup (60 ml/2 fl oz) of the vinegar in a small bowl, then set aside.
2. To make the dipping sauce, combine the chilli, fish sauce, lime juice, half the garlic and half the sugar in a small bowl, then set aside for the flavours to meld. Cut the beef into thin slices, season well with pepper and set aside.
3. Put the lettuce, mint and cucumber in separate piles on a platter, then cover with plastic wrap.
4. Bring 1 litre (32 fl oz) water to the boil in a large saucepan. Add the tomato and the remaining garlic, sugar and vinegar and simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Using a pastry brush, brush both sides of each rice paper wrapper liberally with water. Leave for 2 minutes to become soft and pliable. Stack the wrappers on a plate. Sprinkle a little extra water over them, then cover the plate with plastic wrap to keep the wrappers moist until they are needed.
6. Put the tomato mixture in a food processor and process until smooth. Return to the pan and reheat to simmering point. Add the beef in batches to the liquid, and cook it briefly, just until it changes colour, then transfer it to a serving bowl.
7. To serve, put all the food on the table. Each diner makes their own parcel, then dips it in the dipping sauce to eat.
