Thai Steak Salad
INGREDIENTS
- 2 Boneless ribeye steaks (about 10-12 oz each)
- STEAK MARINADE
- 6 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp coconut palm sugar or brown sugar
- 2 tsp cracked black pepper
Salad Dressing
- 6 tbsp lime juice (about 3 limes)
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 cherry tomatoes or 1/4 small tomato
- 2.5 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
- optional: 1-5 red Thai chilis depending on spicy level preference
Salad Ingredients
- 1 package precut romaine lettuce (~9 oz bag) or ~1 head of lettuce
- 1 English cucumber or 2 Persian cucumbers
- 1 handful cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 red onion (small)
- 1 green onion
- 5-7 mint leaves
- optional: extra herbs such as cilantro and parsley
METHOD
Steak Marinade
Prepare steak marinade by mixing 6 tablespoons fish sauce, 2 tablespoons palm sugar or brown sugar, and 2 teaspoons of cracked black pepper in a small bowl.
Marinade steaks for 15-30 minutes at room temperature. Don't marinade steaks for more than about 30 minutes or it will result in a super salty steak. You can either marinade steaks in a large container or large galloon-sized ziplock. I prefer marinading the steaks in a large ziplock bag and massaging the marinade into the steaks. Set aside.
Salad And Salad Dressing
Prepare salad dressing by cut two cherry tomatoes in half or a 1/4 of a small tomato. Place tomatoes, 2 1/2 tablespoons of palm sugar or brown sugar, and optional Thai red chilis into a pestle and mortar. If you prefer a non-spicy salad dressing, you can leave out the chilis. However, if you want a slight kick, add in 1 to 2 Thai chilis to your preferred spice level. I recommend starting with 1 Thai chili and adding more as necessary. For reference, I use 2 chilis for a medium spice level.
Use pestle and mortar to mash everything together until sugar as melted into tomatoes and chilis are broken into smaller pieces. Add in 6 tablespoons of lime juice and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce to the mortar. Use pestle to mix and mash everything together. Give salad dressing a taste and adjust taste to preference. Set aside.
Prepare salad ingredients.
Wash and cut romaine lettuce, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and red onions into small bite-sized pieces. Chop mint and green onions into small pieces. Combine all ingredients in a large salad bowl for serving.
How To Cook And Serve Steak Salad
Remove steaks from marinade and use a paper towel to remove excess marinade from steak. A dry steak helps create a nice crust on the steak when cooking.
Heat up a cast iron or frying pan with a drizzle of oil and high heat. When oil is really hot, carefully add in steaks. For a steak cooked medium, cook 4 minutes on one side, flip the steak, and then cook for another 2 minutes on the other side. Use a food thermometer to test doneness of steak. A medium steak should have an internal temperature of 135º F to 140º F. Adjust cooking time more or less according to your preferred steak doneness. Remove steaks from pan, cover with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes.
After resting, cut steaks into thin slices. Mix salad dressing with salad ingredients and extra herbs. Serve with sliced steaks and enjoy!
