Easy Thai Beef Salad (Yum Nua)

Ingredients

• 3/4 lb (340 g) beef tenderloin, rib-eye, sirloin, or striploin (room temperature)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• dashes pepper
• 2 small cucumber or 1 English cucumber (seeded and sliced)
• 4 oz (113 g) cherry tomato (cut in half)
• 1 shallot (sliced)
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) mint (loosely packed and torn)
• 1/4 cup (60 ml ) cilantro (loosely packed and torn)
• 1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp palm sugar (or light brown sugar)
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 fresh red chili (finely minced)

Instructions

1. 1

   Season your beef steak with soy sauce and pepper. Let it sit for 15 minutes.

2. 2

   Grill your steak over a very hot grill to get the grill marks. Cook to your desired done-ness. Let the steak rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly across the grain.

3. 3

   For the salad dressing, mix together the fish sauce, sugar, lime juice and chili in a small bowl. Taste and adjust sweetness, saltiness and tartness according to your taste.

4. 4

   In a large mixing bowl, combine beef, cucumber, tomato, shallot, and herbs. Start with half the dressing, then taste and adjust — it's easy to overdo it. Always toss the salad just before serving to keep the greens crisp and the flavors balanced.