Saigon Beef

Recipe: Gourmet Magazine

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 2

Ingredients

• For chile garlic sauce

• 2  tablespoons  finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 2  cloves garlic, minced
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  dried hot red pepper flakes
• 1⁄2 cup rice vinegar (not seasoned)
• 1  tablespoon  sesame oil
• 1  tablespoon sriracha sauce or 1  tablespoon  other asian hot chili sauce
• 2  tablespoons mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
• 1⁄4 cup sugar

• For beef

• 1  lb  sirloin steaks or 1  lb  flank steak, 3/4 to 1 inch thick,trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2  tablespoons  sesame oil
• 2  tablespoons  finely chopped shallots
• 1  tablespoon sriracha sauce or 1  tablespoon  other asian hot chili sauce
• 1⁄2  fresh habanero pepper, seeded and minced (about 1 teaspoon)
• 1⁄2 cup mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
• 1⁄3 cup  well-stirred canned unsweetened coconut milk

• For condiments

• 2  limes, cut into wedges
• 1  head boston lettuce, leaves separated
• 12  fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced
• 3  scallions, thinly sliced crosswise
• 1⁄4 cup  dry roasted salted peanut, chopped
• 1  carrot, shredded

Directions

1. Make chile garlic sauce: Stir together ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, vinegar, sesame oil, Sriracha sauce, and mirin in a 1-quart heavy saucepan and boil over moderate heat 5 minutes.
2. Stir in sugar and simmer until thickened and reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 5 minutes.
3. Cool to room temperature.
4. Make beef while sauce is cooling: Pat steak dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5. Heat sesame oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté steak, stirring occasionally, until browned on outside but still pink inside, about 3 minutes.
6. Stir in shallot, Sriracha sauce, habanero, and mirin and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until beef is tender, about 20 minutes.
7. Stir in coconut milk and simmer, uncovered, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.
8. To serve: Put beef, chile garlic sauce, lime wedges (for squeezing), and remaining condiments each in a separate bowl.
9. Spoon beef into lettuce leaves and top with condiments and sauce, then wrap up.