Bo La Lot
intro
Fragrant grilled ground beef wrapped in peppery wild betel leaves, a classic Southern Vietnamese street food perfect for sharing, packed with bright umami aroma.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep betel leaves
Gently rinse 30 large wild betel leaves under cool running water to remove surface dirt, pat completely dry with paper towels, and set aside. Discard any torn, yellowed, or blemished leaves, and trim off 1/4 inch of the thick, woody stem end from each remaining leaf to make wrapping easier.
Mix beef filling
In a medium mixing bowl, combine 450 grams 80/20 ground beef, 2 tablespoons finely minced lemongrass, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 1 teaspoon raw sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Mix thoroughly with clean hands for 2 minutes until all ingredients are evenly distributed, then let the filling rest at room temperature for 10 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
Wrap beef rolls
Lay one prepared betel leaf shiny-side down on a clean work surface, with the pointed leaf tip facing away from you. Place 1 tablespoon of beef filling in a short, thin log shape 1 inch from the trimmed stem end, fold the left and right side edges of the leaf in over the filling, then roll tightly from the stem end toward the leaf tip to form a compact 2-inch long roll. Secure the loose leaf tip with a half-length wooden toothpick if it does not stay closed, and repeat with all remaining leaves and filling.
Preheat cooking grill
Preheat an outdoor gas or charcoal grill to medium heat (350°F / 175°C), scrub the grill grates clean with a wire brush, and wipe lightly with oiled paper towel to prevent sticking. If using an indoor stovetop grill pan, heat it over medium heat for 3 minutes until evenly hot, then brush the pan ridges lightly with 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil.
Grill the beef rolls
Brush the outer surface of all wrapped rolls lightly with the remaining 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil, then arrange them seam-side down on the preheated grill, leaving 1/2 inch of space between each roll. Cook for 4 minutes on the first side, then flip each roll carefully with metal tongs, and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes on the second side, until the leaves are slightly charred at the edges and the beef filling reaches an internal temperature of 160°F / 71°C.
Rest and serve
Transfer the cooked rolls to a warm serving platter, remove all wooden toothpicks, and let the rolls rest for 3 minutes to allow beef juices to redistribute. Serve warm, accompanied by fresh herb sprigs and nuoc cham dipping sauce if desired.
Tips
2.If fresh wild betel (la lot) leaves are unavailable, substitute with large perilla (shiso) leaves for a similar bright, herbaceous flavor, though the peppery note will be milder.
3.Keep grill heat at medium, not high: high heat will char the thin leaves to ash before the ground beef filling cooks all the way through.
OMG this Bo La Lot is SO good! I made it for my husband’s birthday cookout last weekend and everyone was asking for the recipe. I was a little nervous wrapping the beef tight enough so it wouldn’t fall apart on the grill, but the tips in the recipe worked perfectly. The wild betel leaves have that unique peppery, slightly earthy kick that pairs so well with the savory marinated beef. 10/10 will be making this for our next potluck too!
Total game changer for my weekly meal prep! I was stuck in a boring chicken and rice rut and decided to switch it up with this recipe. Cook time was totally doable on a Sunday afternoon, even with the marinating step. I will say I had my grill heat a little too high at first and charred a couple of the leaves, so definitely keep it on medium heat like the recipe says! I served mine with rice noodles and pickled veggies and it held up great for lunches all week.
Tried this last night for family dinner and my kids loved it! My youngest is super picky and usually turns up his nose at anything that isn’t chicken nuggets, but he ate three of these wraps and asked for seconds. I added a little extra lemongrass to the marinade because I love that bright, citrusy flavor, and it slapped. Will be adding this to our regular weeknight rotation for sure.
Wait, is there a good substitute for wild betel leaves if I can’t find them close by? I live in a smaller town and the closest Asian market is almost an hour away, so I was wondering if something like grape leaves or even large basil leaves would work as a stand in? This recipe looks absolutely delicious and I’m so excited to make it, I just don’t want to drive that far for one ingredient if I don’t have to!
Made these on my portable charcoal grill while camping last weekend and they were chef’s kiss. I pre-mixed the beef marinade and kept it in a cooler, pre-wrapped all the leaves at the campsite picnic table, and grilled them up over hot coals in like 8 minutes. All my camping buddies were blown away that I made something this fancy on a campout. Way better than the usual hot dogs and hamburgers we usually make.
I followed the marinade exactly and it was so flavorful, but I struggled to keep the wraps from unraveling when I flipped them on the grill. A bunch of the beef fell out onto the grates and I was so sad! Did anyone else have this issue? Any tips for getting them to stay closed without ruining the leaf?
The flavor on these is unreal! I made them for my partner’s Vietnamese family dinner and I was so nervous they wouldn’t measure up to his grandma’s version, but everyone said they tasted super authentic. I did add a tiny bit of extra five spice to the marinade because I love that warm depth, and it went over so well. Even his grandma asked for the recipe! Total win.
Wait, can I cook these on a cast iron grill pan indoors if I don’t have an outdoor grill? I live in an apartment with no balcony so grilling outside isn’t an option for me, but I’m dying to make these—they look so flavorful! Would I lose that smoky grilled flavor, or would the pan work well enough?