Thai Beef Salad

Ingredients

Dressing

• 1/2 tsp birds eye or Thai Chili, deseeded and finely minced (Note 1)
• 1/4 tsp finely minced garlic (1/2 small clove)
• 1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro/coriander stems
• 2 1/4 tsp white sugar
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp grapeseed oil (or canola or vegetable oil)
• 1 small pinch cooking / kosher salt

Salad

• 7 – 8 oz / 200 – 250 g good quality beef steak – sirloin, at room temperature (Note 2)
• 1 tbsp oil (vegetable, peanut or canola oil)
• 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
• 2 heaped cups mixed lettuce leaves
• 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 small red onion, very finely sliced
• 1/2 cucumber (optional deseed), 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

• 1/4 cup finely chopped peanuts, roasted, unsalted
• Extra cilantro/coriander and mint leaves

Directions

Dressing:

1. Place the bird’s eye chili, garlic, cilantro stems and a small pinch of salt into a mortar and pestle. Grind until a smooth paste forms.
2. Add the remaining Dressing ingredients. Adjust sugar, lime juice and fish sauce to taste. Set aside.
3. Alternative: Finely mince garlic, coriander and chilli. Use side of knife to smear into paste on cutting board, then shake in jar with the remaining ingredients.

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 (Note 2).
3. Cook times: for steak 2cm / 4/5” thick, 2 min on each side for medium rare (until internal temp is 52°C/125°F) OR 2 1/2 min each side for medium (internal temp 57°C/135°F).
4. 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 (Note 2) 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.
2. Can substitute with other chili of choice or use chili paste.
3. Steak- any good steak suited to grilling. Sirloin, boneless rib eye, porterhouse, scotch fillet or rump steak. Flat iron is my personal favorite!

Calories ~ 384

Protein ~ 38 g

Fiber ~ 2.5 g