Vietnamese Beef Salad with Quick-Pickled Pineapple (Gỏi Bò)
A Vietnamese-style beef salad that is fresh and vibrant. Thin strips of beef are gently beaten, quickly seared and tossed through wombok, crunchy vegetables, herbs and quick-pickled pineapple, finished with peanuts and fried shallots.
Ingredients
Quick Pickled Pineapple
- 1 cup fresh pineapple cut into small pieces
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lime juice
- salt pinch
Beef
- 400 g beef steak rump, sirloin or scotch fillet
- 1 tbsp Asian pear grated, or very finely chopped fresh pineapple
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp sugar or honey
- 1 clove garlic finely grated
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
Salad
- 3 cups wombok (Chinese cabbage) finely shredded
- 1 carrot julienned
- 6 radishes thinly sliced
- Vietnamese mint leaves handful
- coriander leaves handful
Dressing
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tsp fish sauce start here, then adjust to taste
- 1 tbsp sugar or honey, to taste
- 1/2 clove garlic finely diced
- 1 tsp fermented chilli or diced red chilli, to taste
- 2 tbsp water
To Finish
- 1/3 cup roasted peanuts crushed
- fried shallots to serve
Instructions
- Combine the pineapple, sugar, vinegar (or lime juice) and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Toss well and set aside for 15 to 20 minutes, then drain lightly.
- Slice the beef very thinly across the grain. Place between baking paper and gently beat to slightly flatten.
- Toss the beef with the pear (or pineapple), fish sauce, sugar, garlic and oil. Set aside for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Combine the wombok, carrot, radish and herbs in a large bowl.
- Heat a frying pan until hot and cook the beef quickly in batches for 60 to 90 seconds, just until cooked and tender.
- Whisk together the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, garlic, chilli and water until balanced.
- Just before serving, add the warm beef and drained pineapple to the salad, pour over the dressing and toss gently.
- Finish with crushed peanuts and fried shallots and serve straight away.
Notes
Slice the beef as thinly as possible and always across the grain. Keep the pineapple pieces small so they lift the salad rather than dominate it. Add the beef while still warm so it lightly softens the wombok. Start with 2 tsp fish sauce in the dressing and adjust a little at a time, as brands vary.
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