Thai Beef Salad

Thai beef salad is an extremely popular thai recipe and is commonly served in Thai restaurants. This salad recipe is perfect for a refreshing summer lunch or enjoyed as part of a banquet. The recipe is simple, healthy, fresh and has genuine thai flavours. One of the additions I have made to this recipe which is definitely not in keeping with traditional thai beef salad recipes but more a western addition, is the good old fashioned shredded iceberg lettuce. Yes I know it's not traditionally thai, but hey I think it works.

Thai Beef Salad - adapted from 'Encyclopedia of Asian Food' by Charmaine Solomon
500g lean rump or fillet teak
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 tablespoon pounded coriander root and stem
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon palm or brown sugar
3 teaspoons Maggi seasoning

2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice
3 lemon grass stalks (white part only) finely sliced
2 small red chillies

1 seedless cucumber finely sliced into batons
100g bean shoots
10 snow peas sliced finely on an angle
1/2 a small spanish red onion sliced finely
8 ice berg lettuce leaves finely shredded
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, lightly crushed
20 fresh mint leaves

Serves 2 as a light lunch main or
4 to 6 as part of a banquet

Grill the steak over coals or under a preheated grill until medium-rare. Allow to cool.

Combine crushed garlic with pounded coriander and stir in the pepper, palm sugar, Maggi seasoning, lime juice and fish sauce. Stir to dissolve sugar. Slice the chillies finely removing the seeds if preferred. Combine seasonings with the sliced red onion, lemon grass, cucumber, bean shoots, snow peas, shredded lettuce, mint, thinly sliced beef and half the peanuts. Toss lightly and serve.
Decorate with remaining peanuts.