Thai Salad with Grilled Flank Steak

Tracy K's Note:

Delicious Thai flavors, and the warm steak combined with the cold crunchy vegetables is what makes this salad so wonderful! Everything can be prepped/chopped in advance, but don't dress the salad until you are ready to serve it. Source: Chef Brian Patterson

• Total Time: 40 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 2 lbs flank steaks , approximately

Marinade

• 1 cup sesame oil
• ½ cup hot bean paste
• ½ cup soy sauce
• 8 cloves garlic , peeled and chopped
• chili pepper , minced
• 4 -5 spring onions , chopped

Salad

• 2 large cucumbers (hydroponic)
• 6 ripe tomatoes , seeded and sliced into wedges
• 1 red onion , julienned
• 1⁄3; cup chopped fresh mint
• 1⁄3; cup chopped cilantro
• 1⁄3; cup chopped parsley

Dressing

• ½ cup sesame oil
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup fish sauce
• 2 -3 limes, juice of
• 2 tablespoons ginger , minced
• 2 cloves garlic , minced
• 1 tablespoon minced lemongrass
• salt and pepper
• chopped peanuts (to garnish) (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients for marinade, marinate the flank steak for several hours or overnight.
2. Combine the ingredients for the dressing, whisk to combine.
3. Set aside.
4. Over medium high flame, grill the flank steak to desired doneness.
5. Allow to rest at least 20 minutes.
6. Prepare the vegetables: Peel the cucumber leaving strips of the skin.
7. Cut in half lengthwise and remove seeds, Slice diagonally into thin slices.
8. In a large bowl, combine the vegetables with the herbs and toss.
9. Lightly dress to taste with the reserved dressing, adding salt, pepper, and additional lime juice to taste.
10. Slice the steak thinly against the grain.
11. Arrange the salad on six plates and top each with a portion of the beef.
12. Garnish with chopped roasted peanuts or a few chives.
13. Makes six servings.

Reviews

[s'kat]

This was a very nice meal for this hot, humid, sticky summer. I'm still not quite certain if I used the correct ingredient for 'hot bean paste'... does hot bean marinade work? It smelled, ah, not so good, while the steaks were being grilled, but the flavour was amazing. The salad dressing was a bit too heavy on the sesame oil in all the taster's opinions. After the meal, it was all we could taste. Will definately make this again, with less sesame oil, and more sirracha!!