Beef and basil leaf rolls

Recipe : Grilled beef and basil rolls

Adapted from same book as above

These are Vietnamese inspired little appetisers using good quality prime beef and a few aromatics. They are moreish and interesting.

8 ounces of very lean ground beef sirloin, (I bought a piece of strip loin and ground it in the processor)

2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped

5 tsp fish sauce

1 tbsp raw cane sugar

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

a very large bunch of basil, (you need about 25 - 30 large leaves) 

Mix all the ingredients except the basil together in a bowl, using your hands to really squish everything together evenly. Select your basil leaves, lay them underside up on a flat surface and place about 2 tsp of the beef mixture in the middle. (See picture 2 images above). Roll up the leaf and repeat until all the leaves and ground beef has been used. Skewer them in threes onto medium sized skewers and grill over high heat for about 2 minutes each side until the basil is fairly crispy and the meat cooked through. Serve with a dipping sauce such as sweet chili.