Bò Né, Vietnamese steak and eggs, good anytime
Bò né (which translates from Vietnamese to “dodging beef”) is often served for breakfast, but is delicious any time of day. The meal consists of sizzled beef (bò) and fried eggs, with a smattering of pâté and butter dashed across a crisp baguette.
Bò né is generally served alongside a salad plate, and offered on roadsides throughout Vietnam as well as in Vietnamese restaurants all over the globe. You can partake in each component individually, or fill your baguette to make a sandwich, or figure out a third way that works best for you; there are as many routes to eat bò né as there are diners, and each of them is flawless.
Buying the pâté and butter from your local Vietnamese market or diner would be ideal (just ask if they sell it by the pound), but whatever you can find will be solid.
The steak needs one to 12 hours to marinate, but if you’re short on time, simply seasoning the beef with salt and black pepper also works.
Bò Né (Steak and Eggs)
For the marinade:
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 small shallot, sliced
1 small red chile, minced
1 ½ teaspoons seasoning sauce, preferably Maggi
½ teaspoon granulated sugar
½ pound flank steak
For the salad:
1 tablespoon fish sauce, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice, plus more to taste
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
½ small red chile, sliced (optional)
1 Persian (mini seedless) cucumber, sliced
¼ cup very thinly sliced onion
½ head iceberg lettuce, leaves separated and torn For the eggs:
1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as canola
2 eggs
½ white onion, sliced For serving:
1 medium tomato, cut into chunks
2 bánh mì (Vietnamese baguettes; see note)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons pâté (preferably Vietnamese, but Frenchstyle is OK)
In a medium bowl, stir together garlic, shallot, chile, seasoning sauce and sugar. Slice steak along the grain into 4 pieces, then flatten them until they’re about ¼-inch thick. Add them to the marinade and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
About 30 minutes before you’re ready to serve, prepare the salad: In a bowl, whisk together fish sauce, vinegar, lime juice, sugar, chile (if using) and 2 tablespoons water. Taste and add more fish sauce or lime juice, if you like. Add cucumber, onion and lettuce; toss to combine then refrigerate.
Remove steak from marinade, brushing off the aromatics. Slice each steak against the grain into 1-inch strips.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high, then add oil. Add steak strips, then crack eggs beside them with enough room to spread. Scatter onion on the other side of your skillet, stirring gently until softened. After 2 to 3 minutes, flip steak strips and cook to your desired doneness.
Remove skillet from heat. Remove salad from fridge, add tomato and toss gently. Serve immediately with steak and eggs from the skillet, bánh mì, butter and pâté.
Makes 2 servings.
Note: If you can’t find Vietnamese bread in your area, opt for other light oblong rolls, such as short baguettes, with crackling thin crusts and slightly chewy centers.