Asian Steak Salad | Imamother

Amarante

Thu, Dec 31 2020, 10:58 am

This was really a fun and delicious dish and uses a relatively inexpensive cut of meat.

It looks like a potchke but it really isn't - you marinate the meat and grill it. The dressing is made ahead and then you cook the noodles and prep the vegetables.

Roasting garlic mellows the bite and you can actually roast a whole head of garlic and use it as a spread on bread.

Asian Steak Salad

SERVES 4 TO 6

Excerpt From: Shaun O'Neale - My Modern American Table: Recipes for Inspired Home Cooks

The dressing will make more than you need here; it keeps for up to 4 days in the refrigerator and goes great with any salad, or use it as a marinade for chicken or a firm-fleshed fish.

FOR THE ASIAN STEAK AND MARINADE:

1 ½-inch (12-mm) piece fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, smashed and diced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup (60 ml) soy sauce
Zest of ½ lime
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1½ teaspoons fish sauce (sub soy sauce)
1½ teaspoons ponzu sauce
1½ teaspoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon sambal oelek (chili-garlic paste)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound (455 g) skirt steak

FOR THE DRESSING:

1 tablespoon grated lime zest
¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lime juice
¼ cup (60 ml) sambal oelek (chili-garlic paste)
1 tablespoon fish sauce (sub soy sauce)
2 tablespoons honey
3 cloves Roasted Garlic - can be made ahead - wrap a head of garlic in tin foil and bake for 45 minutes until garlic is soft and spreadable
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons ponzu sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

FOR THE SALAD:

4 ounces (115 g) lo mein noodles
4 cups (80 g) arugula
2 cups (70 g) watercress
1 red bell pepper, julienned
3 scallions, thinly sliced on a bias
¼ cup (10 g) finely chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup (13 g) finely chopped fresh mint
¼ cup (40 g) peanuts, toasted and lightly crushed
4 radishes, very thinly sliced

FOR THE GARNISHES:
Radish sprouts
Radish microgreens

Marinate the steak: In a medium bowl, combine the ginger, garlic, cilantro, soy sauce, lime zest, lime juice, fish sauce, ponzu sauce, hoisin sauce, sambal oelek, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the sesame oil, and brown sugar and whisk to dissolve the sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Place the steaks in a zip-top bag, pour the marinade over the top, and seal the bag. Massage the marinade into the steaks for 2 minutes, then refrigerate to marinate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

Make the dressing: In a medium bowl, combine the lime zest, lime juice, sambal oelek, fish sauce, honey, roasted garlic, rice vinegar, soy sauce, ponzu sauce, and sesame oil and whisk well to break down the roasted garlic cloves and emulsify the dressing. Set aside until ready to serve.

Cook the steaks: Remove the steaks from the marinade and place them on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Using paper towels, wipe away as much of the marinade as possible (so you can get a good sear on them). Allow the steaks to come to room temperature, 15 to 20 minutes.

Place a large cast-iron skillet over high heat until it’s almost smoking. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and swirl it around the pan. Season one of the steaks lightly with salt and pepper on both sides. Add the steak to the pan and cook for about 3 minutes on each side for medium rare. Remove the steak to a clean wire rack placed over a baking sheet. Let the steaks rest for 10 minutes, then cut them into ½-inch- (12-mm-) thick (or thinner if you prefer) slices against the grain.

Make the salad: Cook the noodles according to package directions; drain and let them cool.

In a large bowl, combine the noodles, arugula, watercress, bell pepper, scallions, cilantro, mint, peanuts, and radishes and toss well. Drizzle the dressing over the salad 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing constantly until the salad is lightly coated.

To plate: Divide the steak among the plates, top with about 1 cup (75 g) of the salad, and finish with the radish sprouts and radish microgreens.