This salad is perfect with some of our favorite quick-cooking Happy Valley steaks.
Thai beef salad is bright, sharp and rich all at once. Eaten between emails for lunch or cradled in a tortilla at 3 am, this recipe delivers something fresh and satisfying with about as light a lift as you'll find in the kitchen. The dressing can absolutely be made ahead of time and should be kept around as it's just as easily put to service atop grilled fish, shrimp or just generously poured over some sticky rice. There will be a little leftover- that's a very good thing.
We use sandwich steak, cut from the chuck so it's never lacking in flavor and at 2mm thin, it can be prepped and cooked in less time than it takes to read this recipe. You can also use stir fry, or thinly slice some sirloin.
| For The Salad | |
| 4 cups | Arugula, mezclun, shoots, or radicchio |
| 4 cups | At least two: cilantro, mint, parsley, basil |
| 1 pound | Happy Valley Sandwich Steak, stir fry, or sirloin steak |
| For the Marinade & Dressing | |
| 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp | Coconut, grape, or peanut oil |
| 2 tbsp | Rice wine vinegar |
| 2 tbsp | Lime juice |
| 2 tbsp | Fish sauce |
| 3 cloves | Garlic, minced |
| 1 whole | Jalapeño or serrano chile, thinly sliced |
Instructions:
1. Toss greens with at least two of the listed herbs. Cilantro and mint is our go-to combo. Reserve the stems of one of the soft herbs.
2. Combine reserved herb stems with 1/4 cup oil, vinegar, lime, fish sauce, garlic and chile. Stir well to combine.
3. Heat remaining oil in skillet over high heat until smoking and spread steak in single layer in pan. Cook on one side for 1-2 minutes until a little browning starts. Toss 2-3 tablespoons of dressing into hot pan and stir steak until just cooked through- about another minute or so.
4. Remove steak from heat, toss with herb salad and pour a few spoonfuls of dressing over everything.
Note: This recipe can be augmented with any number of shaved crunchy veg. Cabbage, squash, onions, shallots, cucumber, tomato, green beans, carrots would all be welcome.