Thai Food

This beef salad recipe offers a feast of flavors and textures with every bite! This salad is based on the famous “Waterfall Beef” dish in Thailand, so called because of the splashing sound of juices falling on a hot grill. The beef is lightly grilled or oven-broiled, sliced thinly, then served with a mixture of salad greens and fresh papaya along with a special Thai dressing. Serve as the main course for a nutritious and oh-so-delicious dinner that’s naturally high in protein and low in carbs.

Ingredients:
1 to 2 sirloin steaks, depending on the amount of meat you prefer
MARINADE:
2 Tbsp. oyster sauce
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. lime or lemon juice
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
FOR SALAD:
1 large bowl salad greens
1 cup bean sprouts
handful of fresh mint or basil leaves, lightly chopped or torn
1 cup fresh coriander
1 cup fresh papaya, cubed or cut into spears (for papaya tips, see below)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, left whole or sliced in half
DRESSING:
2 Tbsp. fish sauce (available at Asian food stores)
3 Tbsp. lime or lemon juice
1+1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. toasted and ground sticky rice, OR 2 Tbsp. ground peanuts

Preparation:
For tips on preparing fresh papaya, see: Buying and Preparing Papaya.

Mix marinade ingredients together in a cup or bowl, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour over the steak(s), turning meat to coat. Set in the refrigerator to marinate.
For the ground sticky rice (instead of peanuts): Place 2 Tbsp. uncooked sticky rice in a dry frying pan over medium-high heat. Stirring continuously, dry-fry the rice until it starts to pop and is lightly toasted. Remove rice from the pan and allow to cool slightly before grinding it up with a coffee grinder, or pounding into a powder with pestel & mortar.
Combine all dressing ingredients together in a cup or mixing bowl, stirring until sugar dissolves. Then prepare your bowl of greens and other salad ingredients.
Grill the steak over a hot grill, turning only once or twice to retain the juices (meat should still be pink in the center).
If Oven-Broiling the Steak: Set oven to BROIL setting. Place steak on a broiling pan OR on a foil or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Place in oven on second-to-highest rung. Broil 5-7 minutes per side, or until steak is well done on the outside but still pink on the inside.
While steak is cooking, toss the salad with the dressing. Taste-test for salt, adding more fish sauce if not salty enough, or more lime juice if too salty for your taste.
When ready to serve, portion out salad onto serving plates or bowls. Slice the steak as thinly as you can and top each portion with a generous amount of sliced sirloin. ENJOY!