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<\/a><\/p>\nThis was the dish for which I first purchased fish sauce. Fish sauce is a Asian condiment made from fermented, salted fish (you probably don’t want the details). Fish sauce can be found in American grocery stores as well as international markets. <\/em>I have to be honest, it is VERY pungent and VERY salty — a little goes a long way. I use it in all sorts of dishes where I want to add richness (“umami”), like a chili or a stew, because no “fish” flavor really comes through — just salty and savory. Not so different from using anchovies or anchovy paste as a base for a pasta sauce. If you’ve never used it before, this is a good “Intro To Fish Sauce” dish.<\/p>\n Thai-Inspired Beef Salad<\/strong><\/p>\n 1 medium red onion (or 1\/2 a large red onion — to taste) Optional Garnish(es): Chopped dry roasted peanuts, cilantro leaves, mint leaves<\/p>\n I like to pull meat from the fridge about 1\/2 hour before I think it’s going to hit the grill (or pan). I let it rest on the countertop, pushed back out of reach of the dog, of course. For this dish, it takes me about 1\/2 hour for prep, so I pull the meat out at the beginning as I’m pulling the other ingredients.<\/p>\n Start by making your toasted rice powder<\/em>: Put 2 – 4 tablespoons of raw uncooked white rice (I use jasmine) in a dry skillet heated over medium to medium-high heat. Watch it, shaking the pan occasionally, until the rice starts to toast and take on color. Now, shake the pan often to keep the rice moving — it can go from light brown to burnt rather quickly! Take it to a light-to-medium (golden) brown and pull from the heat. Allow to cool and then use a blender, spice grinder, or food processor to process to a coarse powder.<\/p>\n Slice your onion in half root to stem. Pull the papery peel off each half. Slice the onion vertically into thin strips – root to stem. Separate these slices into a bowl of ice water while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. This ice water bath will mellow the bite and crisp them up.<\/p>\n In a small non-reactive bowl, mix the lime juice, fish sauce, and chili flakes. Set aside.<\/p>\n Rinse your cilantro and drain on a paper or dish towel. Pull the individual leaves off each stem until you have about a cup of lightly packed leaves. It’s okay if you have bits of the tender top stem, but try not to get too much lower stem. Set aside.<\/p>\n DO NOT SEASON the meat — the dressing will have sufficient salt, thanks to the fish sauce. Cook your meat to medium-rare to medium. You want a nice crust on the outside and some pink juiciness still in the middle. Ideally, you would do this on a charcoal grill, with a gas grill being a close second. No worries — a quick sear in a hot skillet on the stovetop works too. I’d put a teaspoon or two of a neutral oil, like canola, in the hot skillet (less for flank or skirt steak, more for a London broil). Lay the meat in and DON’T touch it. After 5 – 8 minutes, the meat will naturally release from the pan, signifying it’s ready to be turned. Flip once and sear the other side. Again — the meat will naturally release from the pan when it’s nice and crusty. Use a meat thermometer if you are concerned about the level of doneness.<\/p>\n Whether grilled or pan-seared, let the steak rest 8 – 10 minutes after pulling from the heat.<\/p>\n Put the cilantro leaves in a large bowl. Drain the onions, pat dry, and add to the bowl. Slice the meat thinly across the grain and add to the bowl. Pour the lime\/fish\/chili dressing over the meat. Sprinkle with a tablespoon or two of toasted rice power and toss it all together. Garnish with the peanuts, additional cilantro leaves, or mint leaves, as desired.<\/p>\n
\n5 tablespoons lime juice (I use bottled Nellie’s)
\n2 tablespoons fish sauce
\n1\/4 to 1\/2 teaspoon chili flakes
\nBunch of cilantro
\n1.5 pounds flank steak; alternatives are skirt steak or a well-trimmed 3\/4″ thick London broil
\n2 tablespoons toasted rice powder<\/p>\n