Roppongi’s Thai Beef Salad
Roppongi
Mouthwatering scents from a street vendor’s grill in Singapore inspired Chef Stephen Window to create this steak salad for the lunch menu at La Jolla’s Asian-fusion favorite, Roppongi. The chili-spiced dressing perfumed with lime and mint adds intense flavor while keeping calories low.
Roppongi’s Thai Beef Salad
Serves 4
1 pound Kobe or other good-quality beef tri tip
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 head romaine lettuce, washed and dried1 English cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced
1 lemon grass bulb, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 tomatoes, cherry or vine-ripened, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
¼ cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce (available in Asian markets)2 small red Thai chilies, seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1.Preheat grill. Brush steak with oil and season to taste with salt and cracked pepper. Place on grill 4 to 5 inches above medium-hot coals and cook turning once, until desired doneness is reached. Set aside to rest while assembling rest of salad.
2.Arrange lettuce on a serving platter or individual serving plates. Top with cucumber, lemongrass, mint, tomato and cilantro.
3.Thinly slice steak against the grain and fan out on top of salad. Scatter red onion over the top.
4.In a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine lime juice, fish sauce, Thai chilies and sugar. Cover and shake until thoroughly combined.
5.Drizzle over salad and garnish with thinly sliced green onions. υ
Where to find it, page 124
