Our Taste of Home: Gỏi Cuốn Bò Né (Grilled Beef Spring Rolls)

by Brandon Pham

Bò né is a typed of grilled beef with a pretty funny name. In Vietnamese, bò means beef, and né means to dodge–so it literally translates to “dodging beef” because you have to dodge the oil splashes while it’s cooking. Most people think of bò né as steak and eggs, but in my family, we eat it a little differently–we wrap it up in a gỏi cuốn (spring roll). That’s why I chose this dish to represent my taste of home–gỏi cuốn bò né is a specialty I’ve only seen in my family. 


I also just love eating bò né because we don’t just use beef–we add grilled shrimp and squid too, and that combo in a spring roll is delicious. My grandma is the main cook in our family, and I always get excited when she makes it. 


Fun fact: When I was a kid, I ate plain rice paper after having bò né for dinner–it was my version of dessert. I’d dip it in the water, let it dry, and then eat it. No filling, no sauce–just a chewy ball of rice paper. 


This dish takes a fair amount of ingredients so I’ll break it all down below–what you’ll need, how to prep everything, and how to wrap the perfect spring roll.

Recipe: 

  1. Grill

  2. Butter (for grilling)

  3. Rice Paper

  4. Vegetables 

  5. Rice Noodles

  6. Raw Meats (beef, shrimp, squid, etc.)

  1. Vietnamese Fish Sauce (nước mắm)

Preparation:

  1. Prepare your greens and rice noodles by washing them thoroughly. My family likes to use lettuce, mints, and perilla leaves. For rice noodles, we love the Ba Cô Gái (Three Ladies) brand.

2. Get your water and rice paper ready (my family likes the Ba Cô Gái brand again). Use warm water–it helps soften the rice paper just right. My family has a special water bowl that makes dipping easy, but if you don’t have one, a large bowl works just fine. Just make sure to run the rice paper through the warm water quickly–don’t drench it, or it’ll get too soft.

3. Get your grill, butter, and meats ready (we like using beef, shrimp, and squid, but there’s sadly no squid in these visuals). Preheat the grill, add the butter, and cook your meats to your preference.

How to Prepare and Wrap Your Spring Roll (this is my preferred method, but feel free to adjust as you like): 

  1. Start by dipping your rice paper in the water and placing it on your plate. Wait a few seconds to let it dry, and then add some greens.

2. Next, add the noodles.

3. Now, add the meats!

4. Starting closest to you, fold the rice paper over the filling and roll tightly. Be sure to fold in the sides after a few rolls to keep everything secure.

5. Finish wrapping your beautiful roll, then dip in your Vietnamese fish sauce and enjoy!

Food Roots