By Three weeks to the wedding. I am operating at a level of focus that I usually reserve for fourteen-hour brisket cooks, which is to say: total. I made a checklist. Bobby Tran made a checklist. This is what fatherhood does to a man.
The brisket order is in: four prime-grade packers from my butcher, averaging fifteen pounds each. Sixty pounds of raw beef. I have calculated that this will yield approximately thirty-six pounds of finished brisket, which is enough for a hundred and twenty people with seconds and some take-home. The smoker can handle two at a time, so I'll run them in shifts — first two on Friday morning at 4 AM, second two Friday afternoon. All four wrapped and resting by Saturday morning. The wedding is Saturday evening. This is going to work. This has to work.
Had a planning session with James on Wednesday. He's making the jollof rice and volunteered to also do a batch of puff-puff — Nigerian fried dough balls — as a dessert option alongside the Filipino turon that Lourdes is handling. The cross-cultural menu is becoming genuinely impressive. I told James that if someone had described this menu to me twenty years ago — Vietnamese brisket, Filipino lumpia, Nigerian jollof rice, and Texas BBQ at the same table — I would have thought they were describing a food festival, not a family wedding. James said, "Maybe family is a food festival." The kid's got a way with words.
Mai spent Saturday afternoon at my house going over her spring roll assembly plan. She is making a hundred and fifty spring rolls. She has commandeered my kitchen for Friday evening, and she has issued a list of requirements: three bunches of fresh mint, two bunches of cilantro, five pounds of shrimp (shell on, she'll peel them herself), vermicelli noodles, and rice paper from the specific brand at the specific store. I wrote it all down. When Mai issues requirements, you take notes.
Cooked a simple dinner Sunday — bo luc lac, which translates to "shaking beef." Cubes of tenderloin marinated in soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic, and sugar, then seared in a scorching hot wok for about ninety seconds so the outside is caramelized and the inside is still medium-rare. Served over watercress with sliced tomatoes and onions and a lime-pepper dipping sauce. It's a dish that takes five minutes to cook and a lifetime to master, because the difference between good bo luc lac and great bo luc lac is about fifteen seconds of timing. Mai used to make this for special occasions. I make it on Sundays because Sunday is special enough.
Bo luc lac is the dish I reach for when I need to feel steady — beef over greens, bright with lime and pepper, done in under ten minutes. But not every Sunday has a tenderloin in the fridge, and not every week leading up to a wedding leaves room for a scorching-hot wok. On the nights when the checklist is still running in my head and I need something clean and quiet on the table, this Chicken Romaine Salad is what I make instead — crisp romaine, warm seared chicken, the same basic logic of protein over greens that makes bo luc lac feel like medicine. It won’t replace the real thing. But it gets you through to Saturday.
Chicken Romaine Salad
Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 12 min | Total Time: 22 min | Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 oz each)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large head romaine lettuce, chopped (about 6 cups)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup croutons
- 3 tablespoons Caesar dressing (store-bought or homemade)
- 1 lemon wedge, for serving
Instructions
- Season the chicken. Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Drizzle with olive oil and season evenly on both sides with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Sear the chicken. Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat until hot. Cook chicken for 5–6 minutes per side, until cooked through and internal temperature reads 165°F. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes.
- Assemble the salad base. While the chicken rests, combine chopped romaine, cherry tomatoes, and red onion in a large bowl. Drizzle with Caesar dressing and toss to coat evenly.
- Slice and plate. Slice rested chicken crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. Divide the dressed romaine between two plates or shallow bowls.
- Finish and serve. Arrange sliced chicken over each salad. Top with shaved Parmesan and croutons. Serve with a lemon wedge on the side and squeeze over just before eating.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 410 | Protein: 46g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 14g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 640mg