Thai Beef Salad

This is one of Jen's favorites...

Thai Beef Salad


For the Steak~~~
Marinate; Grill:
1 lb. flank steak
¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
¼ cup rice vinegar
2 T. brown sugar
1 T. toasted sesame oil

For the Vinaigrette~~~
¼ cup fresh lime juice
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 T. fish sauce
2 T. brown sugar
1 T. fresh ginger, peeled, minced
1 t. chili garlic paste
1 t. peanut butter

For the salad~~~
2 pkgs. (3 oz. each) ramen noodles, cooked (without seasoning packets), drained, and tossed with 1 T. toasted sesame oil
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1 cup cucumber; seeded, cut into half-moons
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
¾ cup carrots, thinly sliced
¾ cup red bell pepper, seeded, diced

Garnish with~~~
¼ cup coarsely chopped mint
¼ cup coarsely chopped cilantro
2-3 T. dry roasted peanuts, chopped

Marinate the steak in soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and oil for 1-2 hours, chilled.

Combine lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, ginger, chili paste, and peanut butter for vinaigrette. Blend until smooth. Whisk in oil until emulsified; set aside.

Prepare noodles according to package directions (omitting seasoning packets). Drain (but do not rinse), toss with oil and set aside. Prepare vegetables and combine with noodles; prepare garnishes and set aside.

Pre-heat grill to high. Grill steak to medium-rare 3-4 minutes per side; allow meat to rest 5 minutes before carving. Thinly slice steak against the grain and on a bias, and add it to the vegetables. Toss salad with dressing (you may not need all of it) and transfer to a large serving platter.

Garnish with herbs and peanuts. Serve at room temperature.