Yum Nua - Thai beef salad

I became so captivated by the fresh, citrusy fragrance of lemongrass that I wanted to eat it almost on its own. The tender root end is sliced paper-thin and tossed with aromatic vegetables, each bringing its own distinctive character. Bright, fragrant and pleasantly pungent, this salad is wonderfully refreshing—just the thing for a warm summer day.

Recipe by Meiko Nakayama

INDREDIENTS (serves 4)

• Lean beef sirloin steak   800g (remove fat and sinew)
• Lemongrass   1 bunch (slice the soft root parts into 1mm thickness)
• Coriander   1 bunch (cut into bite size)
• Fresh red chili   1/3 of 1 pepper or desired amount (chop into thin slices)
• Cherry tomato   8 (cut into wedges and deseed)
• Red onion   1/2 (cut into thin slices)
• Peanut   15g (chop coarsely)
• Lime   1 (cut into wedges)

For the dressing

• Fish sauce   2 tbsp
• Sugar   1 tsp
• White wine vinegar   1 tbsp
• Garlic   2 clove (chop finely)
• Salt   to taste
  

METHOD:

1. Prepare the beef steak. Bring the meat back to room temperature, pat it dry with kitchen towels and season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a pan until slight smoke appears. Fry the steak over high heat and flip over when the bottom side is browned. To finish as medium rare, take the meat off from the heat when the core temperature reaches 52C, then leave it to rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes. (If you are using thick cut, continue cooking in the oven at 180C after searing both sides until the core temperature reaches the desired degree. Flip the meat over and check the temperature every 3 minutes.)
2. Mix all the ingredients for the dressing.
3. After the meat is rested, cut into 5mm thick slices.
4. Combine the meat, dressing and other ingredients together and serve while the vegetables are still crispy. Squeeze the lime over the dish before you enjoy it.