Grilled Lemongrass Beef

• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds beef tenderloin or boneless sirloin
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, (page 596)
• 2 lemongrass stalks, trimmed (page 143) and finely chopped
• 2 large or 4 medium shallots, roughly chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 small dried chile, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons nam pla, plus a little more if needed
• Salt if necessary
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
• Nuoc Cham (page 590) for dipping

1. Freeze the beef for 30 to 60 minutes to facilitate slicing.
2. If youre using wood skewers, soak them in water to cover.
3. Meanwhile, combine all the remaining ingredients except the Nuoc Cham in a small food processor and blend to a paste, stopping the machine to stir down the sides if necessary.
4. When the beef is semifrozen, slice it as thinly as you can.
5. Marinate it for as little as 20 minutes and as long as overnight in the spice paste (if the paste is too thick, thin it with a bit more nam pla).
6. Start a charcoal or gas grill; the fire should be quite hot and the rack about 4 inches from the heat source.
7. Skewer the beef slices, using the skewer as you would a needle to weave once or twice through the meat.
8. Grill quickly, about 1 minute per side, until nicely browned.
9. Serve hot with the Nuoc Cham.

beef tenderloin, sesame seeds, lemongrass stalks, shallots, garlic, chile, lime juice, sugar, salt, black pepper

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/grilled-lemongrass-beef-386392 (may not work)