Intro:
Method:
Dry rub:
1. Let’s begin this recipe by making up the dry rub, as this recipe is simply grilled beef and a salad its best to begin with all the prep first before cooking. In a dry pan, add 2 tbsp of korean chilli flakes, 1tbsp coriander seed, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp mustard seed, 1 tbsp mixed peppercorns, 2 tsp salt and 1 star anise. Place onto a high heat and toast the spices for 2 minutes or until fragrant. When ready add the spices to a mortar and pestle then pound until fine. Place the dry rub to one side for now as we will add this to the beef when grilled.
Pickles:
2. To add another element and sharpness to the salad let’s briefly pickle a few chillies and shallots. For the pickle liquid add 2 tbsp of white sugar to a small bowl then add 6 tbsp of rice vinegar. Whisk well until the sugar dissolves then slice 2 shallots into rings and also slice 1 red and 1 green chilli into thin slices. When sliced add the shallots and chillies to the pickle liquid and allow to pickle until ready to serve.
Mango Salad and dressing:
3. Now to move onto making up up the salad, for this recipe I went with basically cutting the majority of the salad into a small dice, however, you can cut the salad which ever way you prefer. Start by peeling 2 under ripe mangos then cut each one into strips then into a small dice. Remove the seeds from two buffalo tomatoes then also cut these into the same sized dice (you can also peel them if you wish). Cut 1 cucumber into a dice then finely mince 2 small shallots. Finely shred 1/2 bunch of coriander and 1/2 a bunch of mint then when ready add all of the cut salad into a large salad mixing bowl. Keep the Thai basil to one side as we will fry this later to add a little bit of crispness to the dish.
4. For the dressing for the salad in a small bowl simply add 1 tbsp of white sugar, the juice of 2 limes, 1-2 tbsp of fish sauce and 2 minced cloves of garlic. Mix well then transform the dressing into more of a vinaigrette by adding 1-2 tbsps of neutral oil whilst whisking. Adjust the seasoning if needed then place this along with the salad as we will dress the salad just before serving.
5. Just before we move onto preparing and cooking the beef add a handful of cashews or peanuts to a dry pan and roast until toasted. Finish with a light seasoning of salt and also place a small saucepan with a generous amount of oil onto a high heat. Whilst the oil is heating, pick the Thai basil leaves from the stem then when the oil reaches approximately 160°c add the Thai basil leaves and fry for 10-20 seconds. When crispy, carefully remove the Thai basil and place onto kitchen paper to drain off any excess oil. Again season lightly with salt and place these garnishes to one side.
The beef:
6. Now onto the beef, for this recipe I used a large joint of ribeye and to be honest I think ribeye works perfectly for any type of beef salad due to its flavour. As this is quite a large joint of ribeye. slice the beef into 2 thick steaks approximately 1 1/2 inch in thickness. Season the beef with salt and coat both sides in olive oil.
7. To cook the beef place a large griddle pan, bbq or pan onto a high heat. When smoking hot add the beef and cook on one side for 2 minutes. When seared flip the beef over and sear on the other side for 2 minutes again. When ready remove the steak from the griddle and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes. Cooking the beef this way will allow a much more even cook through the centre of the beef. When rested add the beef back onto the griddle and grill either side for 2 minutes each side again laying the beef down in the opposite direction to create a cross hatch grill pattern. Continutue to grill the beef until the meat reaches a core temperature of 50-54°c. This temperature will ensure a rare beef, however, grill longer for more well done.
8. When the beef has finished grilling, remove from the griddle and allow to rest for a 10-15 minutes again. Next brush the beef lightly with olive oil then generously coat either side with the dry rub that we made earlier. Finish the beef by grating a generous amount of lime zest over the top then carve into 1 inch thick slices. Next add a drizzle of the dressing to the salad and coat evenly and we are now ready to serve.
9. To serve add a generous amount of the mango salad into bowls then place a strip of the grilled beef over on the top. Next add some pickled chillies, shallots and some roasted cashew nuts. Finish the dish with the crispy Thai basil and a pinch of the dry rub over the beef…I hope you like this take on a delicious Thai inspired beef mango salad!
