A new summer entree has popped up at our house. It’s from an old recipe, dating back probably to the Reagan administration, from a magazine I can no longer identify, it did me well in my single years as a late-night supper when friends gathered to decompress after a long evening at the hospital. Now it’s bringing grins of approval from the Apprentice Eater, a dedicated carnivore we’re housing this summer.
Oh, I suppose you could do this Thai-style salad in the winter, with those ersatz tomatoes available then, but like most things it does best with the lovely results of warm weather. It’s a very flexible recipe—I’ve called for beef here, but the photo is from a try with boneless, skinless chicken, and there’s no reason why shrimp wouldn’t work, although I’d leave them in the marinade considerably less time.
You can be fairly casual about the amount and what sort of greens you use. I like a mixture of crisp and tender ones, like romaine and Boston lettuces. I buy flank steak or a similar cut, something fairly lean that will become more tender when cut across its grain. And it’s fine to use the pre-chopped ginger you can buy at Indian groceries or places like Global Foods. The jalapeno pepper may have the seeds and fibers removed to make it less fiery, giving just a light kick to the dressing. The next time we have it, we’re going to add some cucumber slices for garnish.
Thai-Style Beef Salad
3 small heads or 2 large ones of different lettuces of your choice
3/4 c. of peanut oil, divided
4 Tbs. fresh lime juice, divided
3 Tbs. soy sauce, divided
1 lb. fairly lean beef, about 1 inch thick
1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
2 medium garlic cloves, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, coarsely chopped
1/4 c. minced fresh cilantro
1 or 2 tomatoes, cut in wedges
1 small red onion, cut in rings,.
Wash the lettuces and break them into bite-sized pieces. Dry them and refrigerate until needed.
Combine 2 tablespoons of the peanut oil, 2 tablespoons of the lime juice and 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce in a sealable plastic bag. Trim any extra fat from the beef, put it into the bag with the marinade, press out any excess air, and set aside at room temperature for an hour. (If you’re using chicken, refrigerate it.)
In a food processor or blender, combine 1 /2 cup peanut oil, the remaining 2 tablespoons of lime juice and of soy sauce, the ginger, garlic and jalapeno. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
Heat a heavy skillet over high heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan, and heat it until it smokes a little. Remove the steak from the marinade, shaking off any excess, and add the meat to the skillet. Sear it for about 3 minutes on each side. Allow it to cook for another 10 minutes or so, turning once or twice, to make it medium rare. Add the reserved marinade to the dressing in the processor. (If you’re cooking chicken, cook it longer, and do not add its marinade to the dressing.) When the meat is cooked, set it aside on a cutting board, and remove the skillet from the heat.
Put the greens into a large bowl. Add the minced cilantro, the tomato wedges and the onion rings. Pour the dressing into the still-warm skillet, using a spatula to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Put a lid on to keep the dressing warm.
With a sharp knife, cut the beef across the grain into very thin slices. Add any juices from the meat to the dressing, and toss the salad very well. Serve with the slices of meat laid across the top.
Serves 4.
-Ann
Comments
One response
I would substitute Fish Sauce, and perhaps a bit of sugar, for the soy. I think this would make the dish more complex and nuanced.
Fyi-just got back from S.F. The sign for the Obrero is still up, but the bldg. appears to have been converted to a boarding house. The take out Dim Sum from the various store fronts on Stockton was really great as usual; high quality and inexpensive. Went to the Zuni Cafe for the first time and I wouldn’t go back. The food is well prepared, but a bit too prissy for my taste and largely served in an ala carter format with minimal sides coming with the main plates. Timing between courses was far too long. Expensive, too. 2 apps and 2 mains with a $38 bottle of wine, which was one of the less expensive selections, was $165. We basically felt ripped off. Our dining experience in Portland was far superior. It seemed hard to go wrong in that city, with even brewpubs serving really nice food.