Recipe of the week - Warm Marinated Flank Steak Salad

August 18, 2015 by Joanna Harrison

When grilling the flank steak, lightly pat the meat dry with a paper towel before throwing it over the fire as it will aid significantly in the charring of the exterior. Also, make sure to cook the steak to rare if you want to serve the salad medium rare, as I do. The secondary process of coating the rested and sliced steak in the warm dressing will continue to cook the meat slightly.

The Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup minced fresh lemongrass (from 2 stalks)
• One 2 1/2-pound flank steak
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup mint leaves
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves

The Method:

1. In a large glass baking dish, mix the soy sauce with the pepper and 2 tablespoons of the lemongrass. Add the flank steak and turn to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Light a grill. Grill the flank steak over moderately high heat, turning once, until charred on the outside but still pink within, about 8 minutes. Transfer the steak to a carving board and let stand for 5 minutes. Cut the steak in half lengthwise. Slice the halves across the grain 1/4 inch thick.
3. In a large wok or nonreactive skillet, combine the lime juice with the fish sauce, crushed red pepper, sugar and the remaining 2 tablespoons of lemongrass. Cook over moderate heat until hot. Stir in the sliced steak along with 1 tablespoon of the marinade. Add the shallots, mint, cilantro, stirring to coat. Transfer the salad to plates and serve.