07.27.07

Thai-style beef salad

Posted in food, home cooking at 8:37 am by wingerz

Made this for dinner a few months ago on a hot summer evening. The dressing was excellent, hitting all four of the taste senses. The flank steak was satisfying to cook and ended up being very tender. I’m on the lookout for more Thai (and Thai-inspired) recipes to experiment with.

Thai-style Beef Salad
From America’s Test Kitchen’s The New Best Recipe

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/4 pounds flank steak, trimmed of excess fat and patted dry with paper towels
Salt and ground black pepper
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup juice from 2 limes
4 teaspoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 medium cucmber, peeled, seeded, and sliced thin
1/2 small red onion, sliced thin
1 tablespoon packed torn fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon packed torn fresh mint leaves
1 head Bibb or Boston lettuce, leaves washed, dried, and torn into pieces (4 cups lightly packed)
1/2 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts, chopped coarse

1. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke. Season the steak liberally with salt and pepper, lay it in the pan, and saute, not moving it until it is well-browned, 4-5 minutes. Turn the steak over with tongs and reduce the heat to medium. Continue to cook until the steak is browned on the second side, about 5 minutes. Transfer the steak to a plate and let rest for 10 minutes.
2. Whisk the fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes together in a medium bowl until the sugar is dissolved. Remove half of the dressing from the bowl and set it aside in a large bowl. Cut the steak across the grain on the diagonal into 1/8-inch thick slices. Halve the longer slices into roughly 3-inch lenghts. Add the steak to the smaller bowl with the dressing, toss to coat, and let marinate for 5 minutes.
3. Remove the steak from the dressing and discard the marinade. Toss the steak, cucumber, onion, cilantro, and mint with the reserved dressing in the larger bowl. Arrange the Bibb lettuce on a large serving platter or individual plates. Spoon the steak and vegetables over the lettuce. Drizzle the salad with any dressing left in the bowl and sprinkle it with peanuts. Serve immediately.

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