Name: Thai Peppered Beef Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1/4 cup fresh lime juice; 1/4 cup fish sauce; 2 tablespoons grated palm sugar (or brown sugar, optional); 2 teaspoons soy sauce; 2 garlic cloves, minced; a drizzle of olive oil or sesame oil; 2 teaspoons coarse-ground pepper; 1/2 teaspoon sea salt; 1 1/4 lbs boneless ribeye or sirloin beef steak (grass fed if possible); 1/2 cup mint leaves; 1/2 cup cilantro leaves ((coriander)); 4 small cucumbers, thinly sliced lengthways; 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced; 8 oz grape or cherry tomatoes, halved; 6 green onions, trimmed & thinly sliced; 2 - 3 Thai (small) red chilies, thinly sliced lengthways

If like me you’ve made some new year’s resolutions to eat better & get healthy this year, then this lively & vibrant Thai Peppered Beef Salad with its lime garlicky dressing, tender beef slices, fresh herbs & lots of crisp veggies will help you feel good about what you’re eating. At least for this one meal.

Truth be told I shot this quickly today…I had burning eyelids because I’m total rubbish at following my own advice (wear gloves when chopping chilies boys & girls, especially if you’re a face toucher) & I was famished having not eaten since seven last night & it was now midday. It’s a pretty salad so it required very little fluffing from me.

I inhaled the salad, chili garnish & all. So then I had burning eyelids & my lips felt like they were three times their size. But I enjoyed the salad – hunger will do that to a person. Seriously though, it is a lovely salad. The mint & cilantro are the salad ‘greens’ if you’re one who insists a salad isn’t a salad without lettuce; tomatoes add a pop of crunch along with the small, crispy cucumbers – which also helped cool my mouth & lips. Had I not been cleaning-up the kitchen in a chili infused frenzy, I’d of laid down with some cucumber slices on my eyelids – freshly cut though, not from the salad. Just to clarify.

Have you made any new year’s resolutions? I have. In fact I have quite a lofty list. Doable though, it’s all doable. Tippy-top of my list is my health. Of course getting my health in order requires me losing weight. Quite a lot of weight. So I have set goals & devised plans…for a dream is just a wish without a plan. We have lots planned for this year my hubby & I, so we’re jumping into it all feet first. I hope 2019 brings you health & happiness. Stay focused, it is but day three.

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Print Recipe

Thai Peppered Beef Salad

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Thai

Servings: 4

Ingredients

LIME DRESSING

1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 tablespoons grated palm sugar or brown sugar, optional
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced

PEPPERED BEEF SALAD

a drizzle of olive oil or sesame oil
2 teaspoons coarse-ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/4 lbs boneless ribeye or sirloin beef steak grass fed if possible
1/2 cup mint leaves
1/2 cup cilantro leaves (coriander)
4 small cucumbers, thinly sliced lengthways
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
8 oz grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
6 green onions, trimmed & thinly sliced
2 – 3 Thai (small) red chilies, thinly sliced lengthways

Instructions

To make the lime dressing:

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, whisking until the sugar is dissolved; set aside.

To make the salad:

Remove the steak from the fridge about 15 minutes or so before cooking. Preheat a grill pan or a barbecue grill to hot. Rub the steak with a little oil. Press the pepper & salt into the steak on both sides. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side depending on thickness of the steak & how you like your steak – time given is for medium-rare doneness. Remove steak to a cutting board & let sit for 10 minutes before cutting into thin slices against the grain.
Toss herbs, cucumber, onion, tomato & green onion together with half the dressing. Arrange most of the salad on serving plates or a platter. Drizzle with remaining dressing & top with remaining salad & chili.