The first time I had this salad—it was in Saigon—I ate so much of it I could barely eat anything else. So, obviously, you can make it as a main course (serve it with rice). Technically, it’s a starter and a great use for leftover steak. For a traditional, unusual, and wonderful Thai version, toss the beef with 1/4 cup Khao Koor powder (page 587) before dressing. For information on nam pla, see page 500.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　1 to 1 1/2 pounds strip steak, about 1 inch thick

　　Salt to taste

　　1 teaspoon black pepper, or more to taste

　　1/4 cup nam pla

　　3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

　　1 garlic clove, minced

　　2 shallots, sliced

　　2 small fresh chiles, preferably Thai, stemmed, seeded, and minced, or 2 teaspoons hot red pepper flakes, or to taste

　　2 teaspoons sugar

　　Roughly 4 cups red or green leaf lettuce, chopped

　　1 cucumber, peeled if necessary, cut in half lengthwise, seeded (see page 171), and sliced

　　1 cup fresh mint leaves

　　1 cup fresh cilantro leaves

　　

Step 1

Preheat a grill or broiler. Sprinkle the steak with salt and pepper, then grill for about 4 minutes per side or until medium-rare. Remove from the heat and let rest for about 10 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Meanwhile, whisk together the nam pla, lime juice, garlic, shallots, chiles, and sugar. Cut the steak into 1/4-inch slices and immediately toss the steak with the dressing.

　　

Step 3

Place the lettuce, cucumber, mint, and cilantro on a plate and top with the steak and dressing. Serve immediately.

　　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.