Grilled Vietnamese Beef With Rice Paper Wrappers And Vegetables

1 small red or white onion finely sliced
1/3 cup rice vinegar
½ to 1 teaspoon Chinese chili sauce or 2 to 3 dried red small oriental chilies crushed
1 ½ to 2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
6 cloves of garlic, pressed or minced
2 tablespoons sugar
1 lb. beef tenderloin, sliced thinly (Note: This is more easily accomplish if meat is slightly frozen.)
¼ spoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups fresh mint, rinsed, cleaned and dried
2 cups fresh cilantro sprigs, rinsed, cleaned and dried
2 cups fresh basil, rinsed and gently ripped in shreds
1 cucumber, seeded and finely chopped or peeled into strips with a vegetable peeler
1 carrot, thinly peeled into strips with a vegetable peeler
12 rice paper wrappers (plus a few extra to allow for breakage)

1. To make dipping sauce place, rice vinegar, chili, fish sauce, lime juice, 3 cloves pressed garlic
and half of the sugar in a small bowl. Mix well to combine, cover and set aside for flavors to
mingle.

2. Cut tenderloin in to thin slices and season well with fresh pepper and salt and set aside.

3. Using a pastry bush, brush both sides of rice paper liberally with warm water until they
become soft and pliable. Stack wrappers on plate, sprinkle over some extra water and cover
with plastic wrap to keep wrappers moist until ready to use.

4. Spray non-stick grill or pan with cooking spray and heat over medium high for several
minutes. Add beef to grill in small batches and cook quickly on just until meat changes color.
Then place in a serving bowl or plate and cover to keep warm.

5. To serve, place rice paper wrappers, cilantro leaves, mint leaves, shredded basil and if
desired shredded lettuce leave, along with small dishes of cucumber, carrot and onion slices.
Each diner takes a wrapper and places a few slices of meat on it along with the other vegetables
and then rolls it up and dips it in the dipping sauce to eat.

Yield 12 beef and vegetable wrappers with dipping sauce each at approximately 80 calories; 3.2
grams total fat; 1.2 grams saturated fat; 12 milligrams cholesterol; 9.3 grams carbohydrate; 1.2
grams dietary fiber, 4.3 grams protein; 109 milligrams sodium.