Name: Thai Beef Salad
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 1 pound (455 g) strip steak (about 1 inch/2.5 cm thick; see Tip), trimmed and at room temperature; Vegetable oil; Salt and pepper; 1 large head of butter lettuce, also known as Boston or Bibb, leaves torn into bite-size pieces; 1/2 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced; 1/2 pint (120 g) cherry tomatoes, halved; 1/2 small red onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced; Handful of fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped; Large handful of fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped; Chile-Lime Sauce; Handful of roasted peanuts, whole or roughly chopped (optional)

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Photo by Maura McEvoy

We eat this salad—which is a great way to stretch a piece of beef—all year long for lunch and dinner, but it's particularly good during the warmer months. The thinly sliced meat, the crunch of the cucumbers and red onions, and the heady aroma of mint and cilantro tossed with the chile-spiked salty-sweet dressing seem made for hot days and nights.

TIP

We like to use strip steak, which has good flavor and texture and isn't too pricey, but flank steak would be fine, too. Grilling or pan-frying the meat is also an option, as is using roast beef from the deli counter; just ask to have it sliced thicker than usual. It's usually more expensive than cooking it yourself, but saves time and effort.

Recipe notes

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