Food & Wine

Vietnamese Grilled Beef Salad

Tangy Vietnamese flavours and juicy steak make for a moreish salad

PREPARATION TIME: 15 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes
• 4 x 200g sirloin steaks, trimmed of fat
• 2 carrots, sliced into ribbons using a peeler
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 125 g vermicelli noodles
• 1/4 wombok (Chinese cabbage), finely shredded
• 1 cucumber, sliced into ribbons using a peeler
• 150 g snow peas, sliced diagonally
• 1/2 cup mint leaves
• 1/4 cup peanuts (plain, unsalted), chopped, to serve

Dressing
• 1 small red chilli, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp finely grated ginger

1. Brush steaks with oil and season with pepper. Place a chargrill pan over high heat and cook steak for 3 minutes each side for medium rare or until cooked to your liking. Rest.

2. Peel carrot into ribbons with a vegetable peeler and toss with the rice vinegar. Leave to pickle for 10 minutes.

3. Cover vermicelli in boiling water for 5 minutes or until tender, drain and rinse with cold water, drain again. Combine the dressing ingredients.

4. Combine cabbage, carrot plus pickling liquid, vermicelli, cucumber, snow peas and mint leaves and toss with dressing. Top salad with sliced beef and peanuts.

• 1.Taste the seasoning of the dressing after you’ve added it to the rest of the salad and adjust depending on your preference.

• 2. Sirloin steaks are sometimes called New York steaks.