Thai
Thai Beef Salad
Hot, deeply seared steak meets a cool, herb-heavy salad with a dressing balanced among lime, fish sauce, palm sugar, and fresh chile. Resting and slicing the beef correctly matter as much as the dress
4 servings · 25 minutes prep · 16 minutes cook
Ingredients
Beef
- 1 1/4 pounds (565 g) flank steak, 3/4 to 1 inch (2 to 2.5 cm) thick
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (3 g)
- 1 teaspoon neutral oil
Dressing
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) finely grated palm sugar or light brown sugar, finely grated, or use light brown sugar
- 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
- 1 to 2 Thai bird chiles, thinly sliced
Salad
- 6 ounces (170 g) crisp lettuce, torn
- 1 English cucumber, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 cup (150 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced
- 1 cup loosely packed mint leaves
- 1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves and tender stems
- 1/2 cup loosely packed Thai basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons uncooked jasmine or glutinous rice, optional; toast dry until evenly golden and nutty, cool completely, then grind coarsely
Directions
Sear the beef
- If using the rice powder, toast the uncooked rice in the dry cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring, until evenly golden and nutty. Transfer to a plate and cool completely. Wipe the skillet clean before adding oil for the beef; grind the cooled rice while the beef cooks or rests.
- Pat the steak very dry and season with salt. Heat a cast-iron skillet over high until faintly smoking; add oil and steak.
- Cook 3 to 5 minutes per side, turning as needed for even browning, until the center reaches 130°F to 135°F (54°C to 57°C) for medium-rare or 145°F (63°C) for the USDA whole-cut endpoint.
- Rest 10 minutes. Slice very thinly across the grain, then cut long strips into bite-size lengths.
Dress and assemble
- Stir lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, garlic, and chile until the sugar dissolves. Taste: it should be emphatically tart and savory with a light sweetness.
- Toss lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, onion, and herbs with two-thirds of the dressing. Arrange on a platter.
- Toss warm sliced beef with remaining dressing and any resting juices. Place over the salad and dust with toasted rice, if using. Serve at once.
