Zippy Vietnamese-Inspired Beef Salad
Pulling from Vietnamese cuisine, this recipe gets an umami hit from fish sauce, sherry vinegar, and lime juice tossed through a mix of crunchy and tender veg, finished with a scatter of fresh herbs. I don't often cook with steak, but when I do I think of *fast* for best results. For this method, use cuts such as grass-fed skirt and flank steak - they're thinner and benefit from a short but hard sear in a cast-iron pan. Once the meat rests, when sliced thinly, it is unbelievably tender. This dish is so delicious it made a convert out of my own mother, who never eats steak. It is perfect nourishment on a hot summer day.
Zippy Vietnamese-Inspired Beef Salad
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 lbs grass-fed flank steak, cut in half along the grain
Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper
2 tbsp canola oil, divided
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 ½ cups green beans, thinly chopped
1 cherry or jalapeno pepper, cored, seeds removed, thinly sliced
2-3 stems fresh mint
2-3 stems fresh Basil
1/2 head butter or gem lettuce, leaves separated, rinsed & patted dry
1 tbsp plus ½ tsp fish sauce
2 tsp sherry vinegar
1 lime, cut in half
DIRECTIONS
Arrange steaks on a small tray and generously season with kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper on both sides. Let sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes prior to cooking.
In a large cast-iron skillet, heat pan until smoking over high heat. Add half the canola oil, swirl to coat and immediately add one steak. Sear meat until caramelized, about two minutes, lowering heat to medium-high as needed.
Turn to second side and add sliced garlic. Keep garlic slices at colder region of pan while steak sears, turning garlic for even browning.
Cook steak for another minute or so for medium rare. Transfer the steak to a plate to rest and the garlic to a small mixing bowl. Add the remaining canola oil, swirl pan to coat, and repeat process with second steak.
While steak sears, in the mixing bowl with the garlic, whisk together fish sauce, sherry vinegar, half the lime juice, and black pepper to taste.
Toss green beans, sliced chili, and garlic in vinaigrette while steaks rest. Slice steak across the grain into ¼-inch slices, transferring any accumulated juices to the vinaigrette bowl.
Arrange a base layer of lettuce, followed by the sliced steak. Top with green bean mixture, torn mint, and basil. Finish with cracked pepper and a squeeze of lime.