Vietnamese Beef Soup With Lemon Grass (Canh Thit Xao Sa) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 stalk fresh lemongrass or 1 tablespoon dried lemon grass
1 dash fresh ground black pepper
2 teaspoons fish sauce (nuoc mam)
1 clove garlic, chopped
6 ounces fatty beef chuck, sliced paper thin
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 shallots or 2 scallions, slice white part of
3 cups water
1 1/2 beef bouillon cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh coriander, chopped (Chinese parsley)
2 scallions, green part only,chopped

Preparation

Sprinkle the black pepper, 1 teaspoon of the fish sauce, and chopped garlic over the meat; mix well and allow the meat to absorb the flavors for a few minutes.
Heat the oil and fry the shallots over a high flame.
Add the lemon grass and fry for about 1 minute, then add the meat.
Cook until all traces of redness are gone.
Add the water, bring to a boil, and add the beef bouillon cubes, remaining 1 teaspoon fish sauce, and salt.
Immediately before serving, bring the soup to a boil.
Pour into bowls and sprinkle with the chopped coriander and scallion.