Buffalo meat with Trong leaves is a specialty that is no longer strange to people in Quang Tri, but it arouses curiosity among diners from all over because of its strange name, which at first glance seems to be misspelled.
In fact, “trông” (also known as “trương”) is the name of a type of leaf that grows naturally in Quang Tri and can be picked all year round. This type of leaf is a bit hard, has small sharp thorns on the edge of the leaf and deep veins.
The leaves have a characteristic spicy, aromatic taste, especially when cooked with buffalo meat, which further enhances the unique flavor.
Ms. Nguyen Hue (owner of a restaurant specializing in buffalo meat specialties on Tran Nguyen Han Street, Dong Ha City, Quang Tri Province) said that from the two main ingredients, buffalo meat and leaves, many different dishes can be prepared, such as stir-fried, stewed, steamed, dipped in fermented rice, or hot pot...
However, the two most delicious and popular dishes are grilled buffalo meat and stir-fried buffalo meat with "trong" leaves.
According to Ms. Hue, to achieve a delicious dish, you need to choose the ingredients skillfully. The buffalo meat must be young, ensuring that the meat is fresh, soft, sweet and not tough. The leaves must also be young, so that when cooked, they will have the best quality flavor.
“Depending on the dish and the preparation method, the chef will choose different parts of the buffalo meat. For example, grilled buffalo rolled in leaves uses tenderloin, stir-fried buffalo with leaves uses rump and neck, or stir-fried buffalo meat is the best.”
For grilled buffalo meat, the meat is cut into small, thin pieces, marinated with spices and left for about 15-20 minutes for the spices to soak in. Then, the chef spreads betel leaves on an iron grill, places the meat pieces on top, clamps them together and grills.
When the outer layer of the betel leaves is charred, the buffalo meat is also cooked, turning brown and giving off a fragrant aroma. After being grilled, the meat is sliced into thin, bite-sized pieces and arranged on a plate with some leaves such as mustard greens, wild betel leaves, chili, and green pepper.
With stir-fried buffalo meat, the meat is also marinated with spices such as pepper, garlic, chili and a little cooking oil to make the meat softer and tastier.
After the meat is well-seasoned, the chef begins to heat the oil, saute garlic, then add the buffalo meat and stir-fry until rare. Next, the buffalo meat is scooped out and set aside, then cooking oil is added to stir-fry the onions. When the onions are slightly rare, add the buffalo meat and the leaves and stir-fry evenly, waiting 3-5 minutes for the dish to cook.
When eating, diners will feel the softness and sweetness of the buffalo meat, combined with the slight spiciness of the leaves, enough to satisfy even the most demanding guests.
Mr. Hoai An (Quang Tri Province Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Center) said that buffalo meat with leaves is one of the attractive specialties in Quang Tri, but is still quite unfamiliar to tourists from all over.
Most recently, this dish was introduced at the International Cultural and Culinary Festival held in July. This is an event within the framework of the 2024 Peace Festival organized by Quang Tri province in coordination with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Not only attractive because of its diverse processing methods and delicious flavor, buffalo meat with wild pepper leaves is also considered very nutritious.
According to Oriental medicine, buffalo meat is sweet, cool, non-toxic, has the effect of strengthening the spleen and stomach, strengthening tendons and bones, enriching blood, helping to treat rheumatism, swelling, numbness, back pain, swollen legs...
The leaves are warm and anti-cold, so when eaten with buffalo meat, it is considered an effective "medicine" for people who often have cold hands and feet, or the elderly who often have aches and pains, and joint pain.
Photo: Hoai An
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