Spiced beef mince rolled tight in betel leaves and grilled until the leaves char and curl, releasing a savoury, almost peppery smoke. Eaten hot off the pan with mint, coriander, fresh ban hoi noodles and crushed peanuts, dragged through nuoc cham. A Saigon street-grill classic that drinks well with cold beer.

Betel leaves (la lot) are the heart-shaped, glossy dark green leaves of Piper sarmentosum, a relative of the pepper vine. The leaves have a peppery, slightly metallic flavour that intensifies dramatically when grilled; the char on the outside leaves contributes most of the dish's signature smoky-pepper depth. Sourced from Vietnamese grocers; substituted with vine leaves or perilla in an absolute pinch.

The filling is the Vietnamese seasoning template: minced beef (Farm 88 here), lemongrass minced fine, garlic, shallot, fish sauce, sugar, pepper. The mince has to be properly seasoned and rested for thirty minutes so the flavours penetrate before rolling; underseasoning is the death of this dish.

Roll tight, secure with a toothpick, brush with oil, grill over high heat for two minutes a side until the leaves blacken and the inside cooks through. Serve immediately with fresh ban hoi noodles, sliced cucumber, mint, coriander, perilla, lettuce leaves and crushed roasted peanuts. Wrap a roll, herbs and noodles into a piece of lettuce, dip in nuoc cham. Cold Saigon beer alongside.