Soba & Beef Salad With Sesame-Soy Dressing

Great sweet and sour summer recipe. Replace beef with more vegetables. Suggestions: * burdock root (gobo) * lotus root (renkon) * bamboo shoots * spinach * mushrooms * napa cabbage * bok choy * bean sprouts * onion * green onion for garnish * tofu (Eating Well, Spring 2003)

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 9 cups

Ingredients

• 3  tablespoons mirin (Asian sweetened rice wine)
• 1  teaspoon ground ginger
• 2  tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
• 3  tablespoons  strong  brewed green tea or 3  tablespoons black tea
• 2  tablespoons  clear rice vinegar or 2  tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1  tablespoon canola oil
• 1  tablespoon  toasted sesame oil
• 1 (12 ounce)  sirloin steaks, trimmed
• 4  ounces  soba noodles (buckwheat noodles)
• 1  cup carrot, finely shredded or julienned
• 4  cups mesclun or 4  cups  salad greens
• 1  tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

Directions

1. Whisk mirin and ginger in a small bowl.
2. Place steak in a shallow baking dish or pie pan. Pour mirin mixture over the steak; turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 min or up to 2 hrs, turning occasionally.
3. Put a large pot of salted water on to boil for noodles.
4. Make Sesame-Soy Dressing by whisking soy sauce, tea, vinegar, canola oil, and sesame oil in a small bowl. Set aside.
5. Cook noodles in the boiling water until just tender, about 6 minute. Drain; rinse under cold water. Transfer noodles to a large bowl.
6. Add carrot and 1/3 cup of Sesame-Soy Dressing. Toss to coat.
7. Prepare a grill. Lightly oil the grill rack by use tongs to rub it with an oil-soaked paper towel. Grill steak for 4 to 6 min per side for medium-rare, or until it reaches desired doneness. (Alternatively, brush a little canola oil over a skillet or ridged grill pan, preferably cast-iron, and heat over high heat. Add steak and cook for 4 to 6 min per side.).
8. Transfer the steak to a cutting board. Let rest for 5 minutes. Slice thinly across the grain.
9. Build the salad on 4 plates with about 1 cup of mixed greens, 1/4 of noodle mixture, then 1/4 of steak slices.
10. Whisk the remaining dressing. Drizzle about 4 tsp over each salad. (Don't drown salad. It has a lot of flavor.).
11. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.