Grilled Basil?!?

There was good size bag of basil and some young garlic from Seton Harvest this week, and Francie found a novel use for both in one of our favorite grilling cookbooks. The Barbecue Bible by Steven Raichlen has great recipes from every corner of the world, including his version of bo goi la-lot, which is beef grilled in la-lot leaves (pictured left). Basil makes a tasty, readily available substitute. The bigger the leaves the better, and the leaner the ground beef, the nicer the finished product will be. You can find the fish sauce, also called nước mắm or nom pla, at any asian food store. The aroma by itself can be off-putting, but with the other ingredients creates a nice depth of flavor.

Vietnamese Grilled Beef and Basil Rolls

8 oz very lean ground sirloin
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 t asian fish sauce, or more to taste
1 T sugar, or more to taste
1 t pepper
1 or 2 bunches basil, about 60 large leaves
3 T coarsely chopped peanuts (optional)


Preheat the grill to high (if you are using charcoal, make a hot fire). Combine beef, garlic, fish sauce, sugar and pepper in a small bowl. Mix to a smooth paste with your hands, then sauté a small amount of the mixture in a nonstick skillet and taste for seasoning. Add additional fish sauce or sugar to the remaining mixture as necessary; it should be both salty and sweet.
Select 50 or 60 of the largest basil leaves, rinse and blot dry. Place one leaf, underside up, on the work surface. Depending on the size of the leaf, mound up to 2 T of beef mixture in the center of the leaf and roll up from the bottom. Place on a baking sheet with the leaf tip tucked under while you roll the remaining leaves. Thread the rolls crosswise on skewers, making sure to pierce where the leaf ends cross to hold the rolls together.
Oil the grate* and then grill the rolls 2 to 4 minutes until cooked through, turning at least once. The basil will be lightly browned. Serve the rolls on the skewers with the peanuts (if desired).

*The best way is to dip a wad of paper towels in some vegatable oil, and then use your (long) barbecue tongs to rub the oiled paper towels on the grates.