Vietnamese Grilled Beef in Wild Betel / Piper Lolot Leaves (Bò Nướng Lá Lốt)

Bò Nướng Lá Lốt / Bo Nuong La Lot is a Southern Vietnamese dish of marinated ground beef wrapped in wild Betel (Piper Lolot) leaves then charcoal grilled.

The wrapped beef can either be served in a rice noodle bowl with chopped lettuce, assorted Vietnamese herbs, roasted peanuts, and a sweet and savory dipping sauce (Nuoc Mam Cham / Nước Mắm Chấm) on the side. It can also be served with rice paper for a self-assembly style.

For the more adventurous, serve with a fermented dipping sauce (Mam Nem / Mắm Nêm) instead, which is my absolute favorite sauce for beef.

You can often find this dish as part of a multi-course meal called “Beef Seven Ways” (Bo 7 Mon / Bò 7 Món).

WHAT IS PIPER LOLOT LEAVES?

A lolot leaf is about the size of your hand. It’s heart-shaped with a shiny side and a matte side. When stuffing it with fillings, put the filling on the matte side so that the glossy side faces outward for a beautiful presentation. Once cooked, it has a slightly herbal and minty flavor.

I mistakenly used La Trau/Lá Trầu for Vietnamese Grilled Beef in Wild Betel / Piper Lolot Leaves. Oops!

I used the wrong leaves!

For those attempting this dish for the first time, the American restaurant name for this dish is misleading. You can typically find it on the menu as grilled beef in betel leaves, but it really should be called grilled beef in wild betel leaves or grilled beef in piper lolot leaves, or simply, grilled beef in lolot leaves.

Betel leaves and wild betel leaves/piper la lot leaves are entirely different in taste, and I found that out the hard way.

Take a look at the picture below. The product is labeled betel leaves so you think you’re getting the correct leaves. However, the Vietnamese translation is La Trau / Lá Trầu leaves. That should have been a dead giveaway because I remember in my childhood that the elders would chew on Lá Trầu leaves.

Vietnamese elders use betel leaves as a wrapper for areca nut (also known as a betel nut), and slaked lime (a white or pink paste). It’s chewed and then spit out for a mild stimulant effect. This chewing stains the teeth red and eventually black.

To get the correct leaves, look for wild Betel, Piper Sarmentosum, Lolot Pepper or La Lot / Lá Lốt on the label.

It was an interesting and sad discovery that these leaves were the wrong ones on my first attempt. I chucked everything in the trash, as the taste was too overpowering and medicinal for me. And no, I didn’t get high…I think.

What if you can’t find the right leaves?

No worries if you can’t find the right leaves. Wild betel leaves / Piper lolot leaves are hard to find in the states. You can use grape leaves, perilla leaves (La Tia To / Lá Tía Tô), or shiso leaves. They make excellent substitutes and are often available in many Asian/Vietnamese/Korean grocery stores. If you can’t find any of those, try spinach leaves. For my second attempt, I used perilla and they were delicious!

Although I used and pictured the wrong leaf, the below How-to-Wrap illustration still holds true.

Recipe below. Happy wrapping and grilling!

*Bò Nướng Tía Tô:* Here’s the second batch where I wrapped the beef in perilla leaves instead (*Lá Tía Tô)*

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Vietnamese Grilled Beef in Wild Betel / Piper Lolot Leaves (Bo Nuong La Lot)

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

12 oz ground fatty ground beef
2 tablespoons finely minced shallots
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
½ teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
¼ teaspoon MSG (optional)
25-30 wild betel/pepper lolot leaves or any of its substitutes

Sauces

Vietnamese Fish Sauce Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Mam Cham / Nước Mắm Chấm)
Vietnamese Fermented Anchovy Dipping Sauce (Mam Nem / Mắm Nêm)

Instructions

Rinse the leaves thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels. Leave a small piece of stem intact to secure the rolls. Alternatively, use a toothpick for each roll or long skewers to secure a bunch at a time.
In a large bowl, mix together ground beef with shallots, garlic, black pepper, sugar, fish sauce, oyster, chicken bouillon powder, and MSG (optional).
Lay leaf flat with glossy side face down and narrow end at the bottom. Put about 2 tablespoons of filling in the center of the leaf, more or less depending on the size of the leaf. Fold the narrow end over the filling, then carefully roll up. Pierce the stem into the roll to prevent it from unraveling. If the stem is too flimsy, pierce a hole in the roll with a small knife then insert the stem. Lay roll flat with stem-side down. Repeat the process with the remaining leaves and beef mixture.
Grill the rolls to get a smokey flavor or pan fry with a bit of vegetable oil for about 2 minutes per side.
Serve the rolls in a bowl with thin rice noodles, chopped lettuce, assorted Vietnamese herbs, and topped with roasted peanuts and a Vietnamese fish sauce dipping sauce. For the more adventurous, serve with an alternative Vietnamese fermented anchovy dipping sauce. You can also serve the rolls with rice paper on the side for a more self-assembly dish.