A simple, bright, and light salad with tons of flavor. One of the best possible lunch dishes. See page 500 for information on fish sauces like nam pla.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　1/2 pound beef tenderloin or boneless sirloin

　　4 cups torn Boston or romaine lettuce, mesclun, or any mixture of salad greens

　　1 cup torn fresh mint leaves

　　1/4 cup minced red onion

　　1 medium cucumber, peeled if necessary, cut in half lengthwise, seeded (see page 169), and diced

　　Juice of 2 limes

　　1 tablespoon nam pla or soy sauce

　　1/8 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste

　　1/2 teaspoon sugar

　　

Step 1

Start a charcoal or wood fire or preheat a gas grill or broiler; the rack should be about 4 inches from the heat source. Grill or broil the beef until medium-rare, 5 to 10 minutes; set it aside to cool.

　　

Step 2

Toss the lettuce with the mint, onion, and cucumber. Combine the remaining ingredients with 1 tablespoon water—the mixture will be thin—and toss the greens with this dressing. Transfer the greens to a platter, reserving the dressing.

　　

Step 3

Thinly slice the beef, reserving its juice; combine the juice with the remaining dressing. Lay the slices of beef over the salad, drizzle the dressing over all, and serve.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.