Recipe Source: Le, Ann. The Little Saigon Cookbook. Insider's Guide, Guilford, 2006 p. 34
If you're wondering why I might have been a little out of touch lately, there's a simple explanation. I'm tired. I have a lot of things that I want to accomplish, but a lot less energy to do them with lately. Some things, like, say, replying to comments, get left for a mythical "later" when I'm more awake and coherent. This fatigue extends beyond the blogging realm, though. Sometimes I'll buy the stuff to make a dish, but when it comes time to get into the kitchen and cook it, I just can't do it. I'm told that this is normal and to be expected. Usually the ingredients will keep a day or two...
This is one of those dishes that got postponed. I wouldn't usually serve a beef salad as a side dish, but I couldn't get out of bed on the day that I intended to make it. Instead, I served it on a day when my husband was attending a regional practice for his particular sport. They always get a hard workout in during those regional practices, and when he works out all he can think about is getting more carbs. He would not consume any vegetables at all if I didn't insist. Since this salad had meat, it became acceptable (meat is always acceptable). The fish sauce makes it a little salty, which he also needed.
I made a few changes to the recipe. I omitted the sugar, and I switched out the iceberg lettuce for romaine out of personal preference. (I just don't get the point of iceberg.) I omitted the mint because my husband is allergic, and I... er... forgot the mung bean sprouts. I was tired. Sorry. Oh, and I omitted the fried shallots as unnecessary, and I switched cashews for the peanuts because of my own food allergies.
The result was a very tasty salad. The Spouse made sure that there were no leftovers, which is all you can really ask for!
Beef Salad with Basil and Lemongrass (serves 4; approx. $5.45/serving)
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili garlic paste
2 stalks fresh lemongrass, finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, sliced into half-moons
11 garlic cloves, crushed
1 lb sirloin, thinly sliced against the grain
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
3 cups shredded Romaine lettuce
1 cucumber, peeled and julienned
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup roasted cashews
Equipment:
- Small bowl
- Wok or frying pan
- Combine the lettuce and the herbs on your serving platter or in your serving bowl. Mix well.
- Whisk together the fish sauce, lime juice, pepper, salt, chili garlic paste and lemongrass until well mixed. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in the wok. Add the onions and garlic. Cook 5 minutes or so, until softened and fragrant.
- Add the steak and the fish sauce mixture all together. Saute the steak until it has achieved your desired degree of doneness.
- Top the lettuce and herb mixture with the cucumbers, then top with the mixture from the pan.
- Sprinkle the cashews on top and serve.
Note: I actually prepared the different components of this salad ahead of time, then assembled them (and cooked the steak) at the last minute. This strategy worked well, but it's important to remember that there's a lot of liquid in with the steak. Don't top the salad with it until just before you serve it, or else the greens will become wilted, slimy and nasty.
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