Vietnamese beef skewers

Directions

1. Rinse and dry the leaves. Trim off stems. Be gentle to not rip the leaves. Whole leaves are best but you can keep slightly ripped leaves to layer or mix in with filling.

2. Cut off the root end of the lemongrass. Peel off the tough outer 1-2 layers. Mince using a heavy-duty knife or use a blender or spice grinder. If using a knife, slice your lemongrass thinly before mincing.
3. Mince the garlic and shallots from the Seasoning section.
4. To a large bowl, add the ground beef and all the ingredients from the Seasoning section. Mix well to combine and let marinate for at least 30 minutes.
5. Crush the roasted peanuts with a mortar and pestle, chop with a knife, or use a rolling pin.
6. Slice the green onion greens and add to a heat safe sauce bowl along with the bouillon.
7. Heat the vegetable oil on medium in a sauce pan until oil bubbles around a wooden chopstick or spatula. Pour the oil over the onion greens and stir. Set aside.
8. Mince garlic and mix with the rest of the ingredients in the Sauce section.
9. Wash lettuce, slice cucumbers, and cook bún noodles- if using.
10. Pre-heat oven to 400°F or start your grill.
11. Lay a leaf on a flat surface, shiny side down and stem end towards you.
12. Add about 1 tbsp of filling close to the bottom of the leaf.
13. Shape the filling into a rough log shape, leaving a bit of space on the left and right sides of the leaf.
14. Fold the 2 sides towards the center - the folded edges should be parallel.
15. Fold the bottom up over the filling.
16. Roll tightly towards the tip of the leaf.
17. Take a skewer or toothpick and pierce it through the roll. It is best to pierce close to the tip of the leaf so that the roll will remain closed and not unravel.
18. Repeat with the rest of the leaves. Try to keep them even in size to ensure they cook at the same rate. Add 5 rolls to one skewer.
19. If baking in the oven, use a wire baking rack/oven grid placed on top of a baking tray. This allows extra juices from the beef to drip off and help the leaves become crispy.
20. Brush the rolls with some vegetable oil.
21. If using an airfryer, heat the airfryer empty at 400°F for 3 minutes before adding the rolls.
22. Bake/grill for 10-15 minutes until the leaves look wrinkly/crispy and internal temperature reaches 70°C/160°F.
23. If using airfryer, cook for 4-5 minutes at 400°F.
24. Once the rolls are done cooking: add to plate, sprinkle with crushed peanuts, and spoon scallion oil over the top.
25. Serve with cooked bún noodles, lettuce, and sliced cucumber.