While in Denver, we had dinner at Kim Ba, in Aurora.

On the advice of the chef, we had Bo Xao Dam, described as “Strips of tender beef in wine vinaigrette sauce, served on a bed of lettuce, tomatoes and onion“.

Now, Seattle is sadly lacking in Vietnamese restaurants. Pho aplenty, but no non-Pho restaurants. So on our return, I started checking my collection of Vietnamese cookbooks.

Nothing.

Bupkes.

Ugatz.

Fortunately, it turns out that it isn’t a complex recipe to duplicate.

Ingredients
One or two large shallots, diced
8-10 oz of sliced flank steak
2 TBS White Wine
2 TBS Fish Sauce
2 TBS Balsamic Vinegar
2 TBS Sugar or Splenda
2 TBS Butter
One sliced tomato
Lettuce leaves

Instructions
Combine the wine, fish sauce, vinegar, and sweetener, and set aside.

Slice the tomato and place the lettuce leaves and the tomato slices on a serving platter.

Get a non-stick pan hot. If you use something other than nonstick, you will need to use additional oil. Add the shallots, and when they have just started to brown (or sooner, if you are using frozen sliced beef), add the beef. When the beef is seared on both sides, add the vinegar/wine/sweetener mixture, and blend it in well. When the liquid has reduced by approximately a quarter, add the butter, and stir it in to mount up the sauce. Pour the results over the serving platter, and serve with rice.

Update: Expect to see an updated version of this recipe soon, because the sugar is not necessary in the slightest, and you’ll want more liquid for the sauce.