Thai Beef Salad

This tangy salad is one of my favorite things to have for lunch.

Makes 4 servings

Total Prep Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound/450g skirt or flank steak

1 cup (240 ml) cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

½ red onion, thinly sliced

1 red chili pepper, seeds removed, thinly sliced

A bunch each of fresh cilantro, basil and mint, chopped

2 tablespoons (30 ml) toasted almonds or hazelnuts, chopped

Dressing

1 tablespoon (15 ml) fish sauce

1 ½ tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon (5 ml) grated fresh ginger

1 ½ tablespoons coconut palm sugar, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon (15 ml) sesame oil

1 tablespoon (15 ml) soy sauce (optional)

Directions

Put dressing ingredients together. Place steak into a food storage bag, pour in half the dressing, seal and make sure that the steak is well coated. Refrigerate for at least ½ hour. If storing for longer, turn the bag occasionally.

Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables, herbs and nuts and assemble them in a salad bowl. Pour in the remaining dressing and toss salad.

Remove marinated steak. Depending on the thickness and your preference, broil the steak for 3-5 minutes, turn and broil for another 3-5 minutes. Remove and cover with foil. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Slice steak thinly. Place on top of salad and serve.

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Thai beef salad layers thinly sliced broiled steak over a cool tumble of cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, and a whole herb garden's worth of cilantro, basil, and mint. The dressing is pure Thai flavor — fish sauce, lime, ginger, garlic, and coconut palm sugar with toasted nuts. Marinate the steak in half the dressing and every slice sings.

Pro Tips

• Marinate the steak in half the dressing and use the rest to dress the salad. That two-stage use is what seasons the meat deeply without making the vegetables soggy.
• Broil the steak just three to five minutes per side and rest it ten minutes under foil. Skirt and flank go tough the moment they pass medium.
• Slice the rested steak against the grain as thinly as you can. Thin slices stay tender even as the steak cools on the salad.
• Chop the herbs roughly and use all three — cilantro, basil, and mint together. That trio is what makes the salad taste authentically Thai rather than generically herbal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I grill the steak instead of broiling?

Yes, a hot grill for three to five minutes per side gives the best smoky char. Let it rest before slicing exactly as you would with the broiler method.

Is this salad paleo?

It is, especially if you use coconut aminos in place of the optional soy sauce. Everything else — fish sauce, lime, coconut palm sugar, herbs, and fresh vegetables — fits right in.

How spicy is this dish?

One seeded chili gives gentle warmth. Leave the seeds in or add a second chili if you want the salad to bring real heat.

Recipe Card

Stav Kogan

Thai Beef Salad

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 1 lb (450 g) skirt or flank steak
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• ½ red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 red chili pepper, seeds removed, thinly sliced
• A bunch each of fresh cilantro, basil and mint, chopped
• 2 tbsp toasted almonds or hazelnuts, chopped
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 ½ tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 ½ tablespoons coconut palm sugar, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp soy sauce (optional)

Method

 

1. Put dressing ingredients together.
2. Place steak into a food storage bag, pour in half the dressing, seal and make sure that the steak is well coated.
3. Refrigerate for at least ½ hour. If storing for longer, turn the bag occasionally.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables, herbs and nuts and assemble them in a salad bowl.
5. Pour in the remaining dressing and toss salad.
6. Remove marinated steak. Depending on the thickness and your preference, broil the steak for 3-5 minutes, turn and broil for another 3-5 minutes.
7. Remove and cover with foil.
8. Let stand for 10 minutes.
9. Slice steak thinly.
10. Place on top of salad and serve.

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