Thai Beef Salad with Crunchy Vegetables

• 2sirloin steaks (approx. 250g each)
• 1 tbspvegetable oil
• 3 tbspfish sauce
• 3 tbsplime juice (about 2 limes)
• 1 tbspcaster sugar
• 2red chillies, finely sliced
• 2garlic cloves, finely grated
• 300 gwhite cabbage, finely shredded
• 2carrots, peeled and julienned
• 1cucumber, halved lengthways, seeds scraped, thinly sliced
• 4spring onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 20 gfresh mint leaves
• 20 gfresh coriander, roughly torn
• 15 gThai basil leaves
• Fine salt and black pepper
• 2 tbsptoasted rice powder (see method) (optional)
• 300 gjasmine rice, cooked to packet instructions (optional)
• 2limes, cut into wedges (optional)
• 3 tbspcrispy shallots (optional)

Method

1. 1Toasted rice powder first: tip 2 tbsp uncooked jasmine rice into a dry frying pan over medium heat. Toast for 4–5 minutes, shaking the pan, until the grains turn deep golden and smell nutty; that toasty aroma is the aim, so don't pull it pale. Grind to a coarse, sandy powder in a pestle and mortar and set aside.
2. 2Whisk the fish sauce, lime juice, caster sugar, sliced chillies and grated garlic in a small bowl until the sugar fully dissolves. The garlic goes in raw here and the lime juice tames it; no cooking needed, but use it within the hour so the garlic stays bright and doesn't turn harsh. Taste: it should hit sharp, salty, sweet and hot in that order. Add lime if it tastes flat or sugar if the acidity bites.
3. 3Combine the cabbage, carrot, cucumber and spring onions in a large bowl. Pour over two-thirds of the dressing and toss thoroughly. Leave for 10 minutes; the salt in the fish sauce softens the cabbage just enough to lose its squeak while keeping the snap.
4. 4Pat the steaks bone-dry with kitchen paper. Season generously with sea salt and black pepper on both sides, pressing it in.
5. 5Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy stainless or cast iron pan over high heat until it shimmers and the first wisp of smoke rises. Lay the steaks in away from you; one at a time if your pan is small. Don't crowd them: two steaks need a 28cm pan minimum, otherwise cook in batches. Crowded steaks steam in their own juices and you'll never get the crust.
6. 6Sear undisturbed for 2 minutes a side for rare, 3 minutes for medium-rare; you're after a deep mahogany crust, not grey. Press the centre: it should feel like the pad below your thumb when your hand is relaxed (rare) or lightly clenched (medium-rare). Transfer to a board and rest for a full 5 minutes; cut early and the juices run onto the board instead of through the meat.
7. 7Slice the rested beef thinly against the grain at a slight angle. Pour any board juices back over the slices along with a spoonful of the remaining dressing; that's pure flavour, don't waste it.
8. 8Taste the dressed salad one more time. The fish sauce carries most of the salt, but a final pinch of sea salt and a squeeze of lime over the leaves ties it together. Fold the mint, coriander and Thai basil through and pile onto a large platter.
9. 9Lay the sliced beef over the herb tangle, drizzle with the last of the dressing and the resting juices, then shower with the toasted rice powder and crispy shallots. Tuck the lime wedges alongside and serve straight away with the jasmine rice; the rice powder loses its crunch within minutes once it hits the dressing.

Per serving

kcal

290

protein

31.4g

fibre

4.2g

carbs

17.6g

fat

10.6g