Thai Grilled Beef Salad (Yam Neua)

Name: Thai Grilled Beef Salad (Yam Neua)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Thailand
Ingredients: 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) flank, sirloin or rump steak, 2–3 cm thick, at room temperature; 1 tbsp neutral oil; 3 g (½ tsp) fine sea salt; 60 ml (¼ cup) lime juice; 3 tbsp fish sauce; 2 tsp palm or brown sugar; 2 Thai bird's-eye chilies, finely chopped; to taste; 1 clove garlic, finely grated; 250 g (9 oz) cherry tomatoes, halved; 1 cucumber, halved, seeded and sliced; ½ red onion, thinly sliced; 1 lemongrass stalk, optional; tender inner part, sliced paper-thin; 15 g (½ cup) mint leaves; 15 g (½ cup) cilantro; 100 g (3½ oz) salad leaves or little gem; 30 g (¼ cup) roasted peanuts, optional, chopped

Seared steak, sliced thin, with a hot-sour-salty dressing and crisp vegetables

Serves: 4
Hands-on: 25 min
Total: 35 min
Level: Easy

A fast, bright salad that turns one steak into dinner for four. The beef is seared hard and cooked pink, rested, then sliced thin and tossed with tomatoes, cucumber, onion and herbs in a classic lime and fish sauce dressing.

Ingredients

Beef

500 gflank, sirloin or rump steak (1 lb 2 oz)2–3 cm thick, at room temperature
1 tbspneutral oil
3 gfine sea salt (½ tsp)

Dressing

60 mllime juice (¼ cup)
3 tbspfish sauce
2 tsppalm or brown sugar
2Thai bird's-eye chiliesfinely chopped; to taste
1 clovegarlicfinely grated

Salad

250 gcherry tomatoes (9 oz)halved
1cucumberhalved, seeded and sliced
½red onionthinly sliced
1lemongrass stalkoptional; tender inner part, sliced paper-thin
15 gmint leaves (½ cup)
15 gcilantro (½ cup)
100 gsalad leaves or little gem (3½ oz)
30 groasted peanuts (¼ cup)optional, chopped

Diet: Dairy-free, Gluten-free
Allergens: fish, peanuts
Origin: Thailand

Method

Pat the steak dry and season with the salt. Heat the oil in a heavy pan over high heat until it shimmers and just smokes.
Sear the steak, turning every minute, until well browned and the center reads 52–54°C (126–129°F) for medium-rare, 6–9 minutes total depending on thickness. 8 min
Rest on a board for 10 minutes. 10 min
Meanwhile, stir the dressing ingredients together until the sugar dissolves.
Slice the steak thinly across the grain. Put it in a bowl with any resting juices and toss with half the dressing.
Add the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, lemongrass and herbs with the remaining dressing and toss gently. Serve over the leaves, scattered with peanuts.

Why it works

Resting lets the meat's juices redistribute so they stay in the slices rather than on the board. Slicing across the grain shortens the muscle fibers so even lean, chewy cuts like flank eat tender. Tossing the warm beef in dressing first means it absorbs the sour-salty flavors before the vegetables dilute them.

Common mistakes

Slicing with the grain: the beef will be chewy.
Skipping the rest: the juices end up on the board.
A lukewarm pan: you'll gray the steak instead of searing it.

Variations

On the grill: Grill the steak over direct high heat, turning every minute, to the same temperature.

Make ahead and storage

Make the dressing up to 2 days ahead. The beef can be cooked a few hours ahead and served at room temperature.

Notes

Peanut allergy: leave out the peanuts or use toasted sesame seeds.