CookTeaser

RECIPE
Serves 2 generously

A CookTale

Steak as a component of a salad turns it into a dinner. The protein and nutrition of a good piece of meat and the refreshment of Endive, Cucumber, Mint and Peanuts brought together with an Asian sauce results in a savory combination. We enjoyed this on late Summer evening with the doors wide open and early September breezes blowing through. The night before was a delicious take-out from our favorite Japanese restaurant, Tomo Sushi in Saugerties, NY. It looked so beautiful, I had to take a picture of a Sushi plate focused on different preparations of Smoked Eel, and a Sashimi plate highlighted by slices of White Tuna.

INGREDIENTS For the Salad

12 oz of Porterhouse or Rib Eye beef
2 Belgian Endive. (sliced thinly, trimmed, washed & dried)
1 C torn fresh Mint leaves (trimmed, washed and dried)
1/4 C minced sweet white Vidalia onion
1 medium Cucumber, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, seeded & diced
Juice of 1 Lime
1 TB of Fish Sauce (Nam Pla, available at Asian markets, or more to taste)
1/2 tsp of Cayenne (or to taste)
1/2 tsp of Sugar (to taste)
Peanuts

METHOD

1. Start a charcoal or wood fire or heat a gas grill or an oven broiler. Oven rack should be about 4 inches from heat source. Grill or broil Beef until medium rare, 3 minutes a side. Set aside to cool.

2. Toss the Endive with Mint, Onion & Cucumber. Combine all of the remaining ingredients with 1 TB of water. Mixture will be thin and you may want to increase the seasonings. Toss Salad ingredients (except for the beef) and Dressing and remove to a platter. Reserve the Dressing remaining at bottom of Salad bowl.

3. Slice the cooled down Beef, reserve the Meat’s juice. Combine these juice with the reserved Salad Dressing at bottom of the bowl. On two plates, lay slices of Beef over the Salad, drizzle Dressing all over, add the Peanuts & serve.