Vietnamese Beef Salad

yield: 2-4 servings

1 pound fatless beef, very thinly sliced (top round or tri-tip are good choices)

For the marinade:

1 tablespoon fish sauce (Nam Pla)

1 shallot, peeled and thinly sliced

2-4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

Juice of 1 large lime or 2 small limes

2 stalks lemongrass, minced (substitute teaspoon minced ginger if you cannot get lemongrass. It will not taste the same. But it will be good.)

To cook the beef:

Peanut or canola oil, ideally high heat

For the vegetable platter: choose your favorites. These are just some ideas:

sliced carrots

sliced radishes, greens attached if fresh

thinly sliced cucumber, peeled or not

shredded lettuce

chile peppers

sprigs of cilantro, mint, parsley

quartered limes

For the dipping sauce:

juice of a lime

fish sauce

mirin or brown rice vinegar

a few slices of scallion

a few slices of hot pepper

a few slices of garlic

Make the marinade. In a food processor, mortar and pestle, or lazily by hand, chop the shallot, garlic, and lemongrass into a rubble. Add the lime and fish sauce.

Place meat in a rimmed dish or baker. Spread marinade over. I find this easiest with my hands, but use a spoon or spatula if you prefer. Cover with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate 1-24 hours.

Remove meat from refrigerator 45 minutes before serving.

Make dipping sauce just before eating. In a small bowl, mix lime juice, fish sauce, brown rice vinegar or mirin to taste. Add hot pepper, scallion, and garlic if you wish.

Prepare vegetable platter by slicing vegetables of your choice and arranging them on platter or plates.

To cook the meat, heat a wok, cast iron, or heavy frying pan on high heat. Pour in enough peanut oil to coat the bottom. Sauté meat in batches: my wok can take two pieces at a time; don’t crowd the pan. These thin pieces take literally 30 seconds a side. Stay at the stove, turning each piece of meat quickly, removing them to a platter as they cook. If pan goes dry, carefully add a little water–it will sputter–or additional oil.

Serve with rice, noodles, or rice paper wrappers.

Leftovers keep in covered containers, refrigerated, up to 2 days.