Serves: 4
Total Calories: 123

1 beef sirloin steak, boneless (about 1 pound), cut about 1 inch thick
Aromatic Lemongrass Marinade (see recipe)
4 ounces vermicelli, rice, soba noodles, angel hair pasta, or spaghetti
1 bunch basil, fresh, preferably Thai basil, stemmed
1 bunch fresh mint, stemmed (optional)
2 jalapeno chiles, , thinly sliced (optional - for lettuce bundles with less eat, seed the chiles)
1 head lettuce, Boston or Bibb, separated into leaves, rinsed and spun dry
Thai Peanut Sauce

1. Lay the steak flat on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut it lengthwise into 1/8-inch-wide strips, then transfer to a nonreactive baking dish. Add the marinade and toss the beef to coat thoroughly. Cover and let marinate, in the refrigerator, for 30 minutes.

2. If using rice vermicelli, soak in a bowl in cold water to cover until soft and pliable, about 30 minutes. (If using soba, angel hair, or spaghetti, no soaking is necessary.) Drain the rice noodles and cook in 3 quarts rapidly boiling water until tender, 2 to 4 minutes (6 to 8 minutes if using the other noodles). Drain whichever noodles you used in a colander and rinse with cold water. Drain again and transfer the noodles to a bowl. Arrange the basil, mint (if using), chiles (if using), and lettuce leaves on plates or in bowls. Divide the peanut sauce among 4 small bowls (see Note).

3. Preheat the grill to high.

4. Weave the beef strips lengthwise onto the skewers. When ready to cook, oil the grill grate. Arrange the skewers on the hot grate and grill, turning with tongs, until the meat is cooked to taste, about 1 to 2 minutes per side (2 to 4 minutes in all) for well-done. Transfer to a platter.

5. To eat, wrap a strip of beef, a forkful of noodles, some basil and mint leaves and chile slices (if using) in a lettuce leaf. Slide the skewer out (you can use the lettuce leaves as pot holders for sliding the beef off the skewers). Dip the resulting bundle first into the sauce and then pop it into your mouth-for a contrast of textures, temperatures, and flavors that is dazzling.

Serves 4 as an appetizer, 2 to 3 as an entrée

Note: The recipe can be prepared to this point up to 3 hours in advance. If you do so, cover everything with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Don’t heat the grill until you’re ready to proceed.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 4
Total Calories: 123
Calories from Fat: 0

More Recipes from the The Barbecue Bible Cookbook:
A Simple Matambre
Argentinian Veal and Chicken Kebabs
Aromatic Lemongrass Marinade
Bangali Shish Kebabs
Bani Marine Street Beef Kebabs
Brazilian Stuffed Rib Roast
Dinosaur Ribs
Fiery Stick Meat / Suyas
Florentine-Style Steak / Bistecca alla Fiorentina
Grilled Beef Oaxaca-Style
Grilled Beef With Peanut Flour / Kyinkyinga
Grilled Oxtails / Kare Kare
Grilled Prime Ribs of Beef With Garlic and Rosemary
Korean Grilled Short Ribs / Kalbi Kui
Korean Sesame-Grilled Beef / Bool Kogi
Lemongrass Beef With Peanuts
Lettuce Bundles With Grilled Beef
Madeira Beef and Bay Leaf Kebabs / Espetada
Montevidean Stuffed Beef Roll / Matambre
Montevidean-Style Sweetbreads / Mollejas Asadas
Nicaraguan-Style Steak / Churrasco
Peruvian Beef Kebabs / Anticuchos
Quick Persian Beef Kebabs
Rib Steaks With Red Wine Sauce And Marrow / Entrecote a' la Bordelaise
Russian Beef Kebabs / Shashlik
Saigon Market Beef Sticks
Steak From Hell
Steak in Garlic-Lime Marinade / Palomilla
Stet's Steak
Texas-Style Barbecued Brisket