You know how every now and then you put a family dinner together and you just knock-it-outta-the-park? This was one of those dinners. And even better, I remember what I did!
I had some CGL BEEF, beef ribbons to use this time, but I would happily use a whole rump steak cooked on the BBQ and then sliced across finely, or the crème de la crème…one of our CGL BEEF rib fillets – like in this photo.
I have pretty much all these ingredients on hand all the time…bar maybe the herbs (one day I’ll have a functioning herb garden again!)….so no way-out ingredients. And if you don’t happened to have one of the salad ingredients, just replace it with something you do have in the fridge.
Thai Beef Salad…CGL BEEF style
Sauce
1 big tablespoon appx. of sweet chilli sauce to keep this kid (&husband!) friendly
2 garlic cloves
Small handful coriander stems
Pinch of salt
½ tsp sugar…aids blitzing action
2 tbsp fish sauce
Juice from 1 or 2 limes
2 tbsp sunflower, grapeseed or even olive oil
Salad
7 – 8 oz / 200 – 250 g good quality CGL BEEF beef rump or fillet steak or stir fry ribbons
1/2 tbsp oil (vegetable, peanut or canola oil) for cooking
Salt and pepper
2 cups mixed lettuce leaves
About 1 cup of small ripe tomatoes, halved or strips of ½ red capsicum
½ stick celery, thinly sliced, optional
1/2 small red onion, pickled…see note** or sliced shallots
1 cucumber, cut horizontally then into slices (about 1/3 cup)
1/4 cup coriander leaves, lightly packed
1/4 cup mint leaves
120 gm mung bean/cellophane noodles
**I have 2 kids…like all kids they have likes and dislikes. I find I can keep the onion in if I tweak it a bit. Slice very finely…but not chopped….pop in a bowl, sprinkle with about 1 tspn of sugar and a pinch of salt. Splash in about 2 tspns of rice wine vinegar and leave to sit while you do other prep. Drain and add when constructing salad. If you’re short on time just use finely sliced shallots.
Garnish
1 tbsp peanuts, roughly chopped, optional
Extra cilantro/coriander and mint leaves
Method
Turn on the BBQ or get the grill pan going…we want it HOT!
Place the chilli sauce, garlic, corander stems, most of the fish sauce and most of the lime juice and a small pinch of salt into small blender….blitz….but not too much, taste and then adjust with the extra fish sauce and lime juice to get it just to where you like.
Drizzle the beef with 1/2 tbsp of oil, then sprinkle with a good pinch of salt and pepper.
Cook the beef to your liking….no judgment! – but remember it keeps cooking once off the heat.
Cover the noodles with boiling water…leave to soften…then drain in cold water.
Remove the beef from the BBQ and onto a plate.
Build your salad. I tend to layer mine up…salad leaves, some noodles, tomatoes, herbs, onion, beef, drizzle of dressing…and then repeat.
Pour over last of the Dressing over the top and toss gently if you can wait that long!
Pile the salad onto a plate. Sprinkle with peanuts and garnish with extra coriander, mint leaves and shallots if using.