Spicy Thai Beef Salad

A delicious, hot, sweet and sour salad which is typical of north east Thailand. It also traditionally includes some ground rice, which i like, but can be skipped if you're short on time. I serve it with some sticky Thai rice for a lovely supper or dinner party main course.

• Ready In: 26 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4  tablespoons long grain rice
• 2  limes, juice of
• 4  tablespoons Thai fish sauce
• 1  tablespoon caster sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon chili powder
• 2  shallots, very thinly sliced
• 2  garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1  Thai red chili pepper, thinly sliced
• 1  tablespoon  vegetable oil
• 450  g  sirloin or 450  g filet of beef, cut into fine 1 x 3 cm strips

• FOR THE SALAD

• 1  romaine lettuce hearts, roughly torn
• 150  g bean sprouts
• 150  g  fine green beans, blanched and cooked

Directions

1. Heat a large, non stick frying pan and cook the rice for a couple of minutes, stirring until the grains start to turn golden and begin to pop. Transfer to a pestle and mortar and grind to a coarse powder.
2. Arrange the salad on 4 serving plates.
3. In a large bowl, stir together the lime juice, fish sauce, caster sugar and chili powder, mixing until well blended. Stir in the shallots, garlic, mint, fresh chili and ground rice.
4. Heat the oil in a large pan and, when very hot, add the beef and stir fry for exactly 30 seconds until browned on the outside but still pink in the centre. Stir into the dressing bowl then, while still slightly warm, spoon over the salad. Serve immediately.