Typical recipe that if you go a little overboard with the quantity, especially the chili powder, it can end up like the rosary of Aurora. And this recipe originally from Thailand uses both chili powder for maceration and finely chopped chili pepper for the salad and depending on which one you use, it can even be excessive.
For the rest, it is not complicated at all and is made from one day to the next. As always, the combination of flavors is the most notable. The arugula is important, which enhances the spiciness, but if you accompany it with jasmine rice or some noodles of rice gives you the perfect counterpoint as well as the crunchy touch with the cashew
Ingredients for 4 people:
– Chili powder, a quarter of a small spoon, if you want more, think twice
– 1 small spoonful of coriander powder
– 1/2 ground ginger and a pinch of black pepper
– One beef steak per person
– 1 tablespoon of vegetable or peanut oil
– 1/2 tablespoon of preserved lemongrass or if we have it fresh, chop a couple of stems and crush it lightly with the mortar until creating a paste
– 1 small spoonful of chopped cilantro and mint
– 1 small spoonful of fish sauce (nam pla)
– 2 large tablespoons of rice vinegar
– 1 large tablespoon of palm sugar
– 1 red chilli, chopped very finely
– a good bunch of arugula leaves
– two good handfuls of cashews, better if they are toasted
Jasmine rice or rice noodles to accompany
We mix the chili powder, coriander, black pepper and ginger and coat the steak in this preparation until everything is well coated.
We heat the oil and add the meat, let it brown on both sides and set aside. Once cold, we roll it in plastic wrap and put it in the freezer for 30 minutes.
After that time, we take out the meat, the plastic wrap and cut it into small strips.
We mix the lemongrass, cilantro and chopped mint, fish sauce, rice vinegar, sugar and the chilli.
We place the beef strips on a plate, then the arugula, add the mixture, stir well to season everything, then the cashews and serve.
This recipe is adapted from the book “Asian Flavors” by Wendy Sweetser Ed.Kodansha
