Thai Beef Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
1/2 to 1 tsp birds eye or Thai chili, very finely sliced
· 2 garlic cloves
· 1 tbsp cilantro/coriander stems, finely chopped
· 2 tsp sugar
· 2 tbsp fish sauce
· 3 tbsp lime juice
· 1 tbsp grape seed oil (or canola or vegetable oil)
Salad
· 7 - 8 oz / 200 - 250 g good quality beef steak - sirloin, at room temperature (Note 2)
· 1/2 tbsp oil (vegetable, peanut or canola oil)
· Salt and pepper
· 2 cups mixed lettuce leaves
· 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
· 1/4 small red onion Spanish onion), very finely sliced
· 1/2 cucumber, cut horizontally then cut into slices (about 1/3 cup)
· 1/4 cup cilantro/coriander leaves, lightly packed
· 1/4 cup mint leaves, lightly packed
Garnish
· 1 tbsp peanuts, roughly chopped
· Extra cilantro/coriander and mint leaves
Method
Dressing:
1. Place the birds eye chili, garlic, cilantro stems and a small pinch of salt into a mortar and pestle. Grind until a smooth paste forms. You may also use a food processor, but I prefer the texture from a mortar and pestle.
2. Add the remaining Dressing ingredients. Adjust sugar, lime juice and fish sauce to taste. Set aside.
Beef:
1. Preheat a skillet over high heat until screaming hot and smoking.
2. Drizzle the beef with 1/2 tbsp of oil on both sides, then sprinkle with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Cook the beef to your liking.
3. Remove the beef from the skillet onto a plate. Loosely tent with foil and set aside for 10 minutes to rest.
Salad:
1. Place lettuce in a bowl, drizzle with 1 tbsp Dressing and toss.
2. Slice the beef thinly against the grain and place in a bowl with the remaining Salad ingredients. Dress with most remaining Dressing and toss gently.
3. Pile dressed lettuce onto plate(s), pile over beef and other salad ingredients.
4. Sprinkle with peanuts and garnish with extra cilantro/coriander and mint leaves if using, drizzle with remaining Dressing. Serve immediately!
Notes
1. Chili - 1/2 tsp will be mildly spicy, 1 tsp will be decently spicy but not blow-your-head off. For mild, 1/4 tsp.
Can sub with other chili of choice, or use chili paste.
2. Steak - any good steak suited to grilling. Sirloin, boneless rib eye, porterhouse, or rump steak, flank, flat iron or beef ribs.