For Evan's birthday, I wanted to make him something that we both would enjoy...meaning it had to have meat, preferably of the steak variety (for Evan), and veggies, preferably of the fresh variety (for me). I had been perusing Thai Steak Salad recipes on the ol' web for quite some time, and decided that would be the perfect meal for Evan's birthday, fit for a king. Not to mention, we had just returned from cheesy, saucy Mexico and I was yearning for a little variety in my diet, a lot of green-food on my plate.
After looking at a few recipes, I had a general idea of what needed to go into a Thai Steak Salad to make it a Thai Steak Salad, and went off to create my own version... off to Uwajimaya! For under $5 I was able to get a huge bunch of fresh basil, lime leaves, and fresh mint. What a steal! I was super stoked about the lime leaves, as I had seen them in recipes before and couldn't wait to give them a try. While most of the recipes I looked at called for fish sauce, I decided to forego the briny brew and make it work without. And work did it ever!
The flavors of the fresh herbs (basil, lime leaves, cilantro, and mint) melded together so perfectly and intensely that they totally made the dish. I'm in love with lime leaves. Evan, of course, loved the steak. Such a fun dish to create, and a delicious way to celebrate Evan's birthday. We both licked our plates clean and wished we had room for more... a meal truly fit for the King of Thailand... or just for a couple of hungry kids in Seattle. Delish.
Thai Steak Salad
Step 1:
Marinate flank steak in teriyaki sauce overnight
Step 2: whisk together:
1 spoonful brown sugar
1/4th cup soy sauce
Juice of 1 large lime
1 shallot- diced
1 hot Thai pepper – sliced in half and deseeded (or diced finely if you like it hot)- I removed pepper after sauce sat for about 30 min
Dash of black pepper
Step 3: put in a big bowl:
1 red bell pepper: julienned thin- 2 inch long pieces
1 carrot: peeled and julienned thin- 2 inch long pieces
1 medium cucumber: peeled and sliced thin
½ small head of green cabbage, sliced thin
Fresh basil- about 10-15 leaves torn into pieces
Fresh mint- about ½ cup- chopped/torn into pieces
lime leaves- about 5 leaves, sliced VERY thin
Cilantro- ½ cup- chopped
Pour sauce (from step 2) in bowl with veggies
Step 4:
Pile spring greens mix on each plate
Step 5:
Broil steak- about 5-7 min/side
Let sit for 5ish minutes before slicing- then thinly slice across the grain
Step 6:
Pour sauce off veggies- strain into small bowl or cup (do not discard)
Add dash more soy, spoonful more brown sugar
Dash of hot sauce (sriracha)
Whisk together
Step 7:
Split veggie mix evenly on top of salad
Arrange steak slices on top
Sprinkle with crushed peanuts, sliced/chopped green onion, and drizzle with sauce
