This salad is my husband’s absolute favorite dish. Every time I ask him what he would like for dinner, his immediate response is always, “Ooh….Thai Beef Salad please!” How could I resist that kind of appreciative enthusiasm?
What’s great about this recipe is its versatility. The dressing actually tastes better the second day after the flavors have blended together, and the salad can be prepared in advance so the only ingredient you need to worry about is the beef. Sometimes we’ll grill a couple of rib eye steaks and have a more refined version of the dish, other times, I’ll buy thin sliced roast beef from the deli at the grocery store and serve it along with the salad and dressing.
Either way, if you’re looking for a hearty salad that has a little bit of sweetness, a little bit of heat, and a lot of great flavor, this one is it!
Ingredients:
For the dressing:
3 cloves of garlic, minced
4 dried Serrano chili peppers, chopped
4 tablespoons brown sugar
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup olive oil
Juice from two limes
Salt and Pepper to taste
For the salad:
1 Boneless Rib-eye steak
1 bunch of romaine lettuce, torn
3 carrots, peeled and shaved into ribbons
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, torn
Salt
Optional ingredient: fresh bean sprouts
Directions:
1) Mix all the dressing ingredients together in a small jar and set aside, allowing the flavors to blend. The dressing is best made a day in advance and refrigerated, then brought to room temperature before serving.
2) Sprinkle the steak with salt on both sides and allow it to come to room temperature at least 40 minutes before cooking.
3) Set your grill to sear and allow it to fully warm up. You can also cook the steak in a frying pan on the stove set to medium high heat with a tablespoon of canola or grape seed oil heated in the pan.
4) Place the steak on the grill and sear it for 3 minutes. Turn the steak over and sear it for an additional 3 minutes. Remove the steak from the heat and tent it with aluminum foil, allowing it to rest for 5 minutes.
5) Place the remaining salad ingredients in a large bowl and add the dressing. Toss the salad thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
6) To serve the salad, slice the steak into thin strips and evenly distribute the salad and the steak onto plates.