Recipe: Evil Jungle Salad (Houston's)

EVIL JUNGLE SALAD
Source: Houston's Restaurant

FOR THE DRESSING:
3 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons Sriracha or similar chile paste (or more, depending on how brave you're feeling)
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoon neutral flavored oil (like canola or grapeseed)
FOR THE SALAD:
1/2 pound skirt steak or flank steak, or a similar thin cut
1 ounce dried rice noodles, soaked until soft in boiling water, cut into pieces if very long, and chilled
1 large handful mesclun or chopped lettuce
1 large handful shredded cabbage
3 thinly-sliced radishes
1 small julienned carrot
1/3 cup seeded, diced cucumber
1/3 cup diced mango
1/3 cup seeded, diced tomato
2 thinly-sliced scallions
2 tablespoons toasted, crushed peanuts (2 to 3)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, mint, or Thai (or regular) basil or a combination (this is best)

TO MAKE THE DRESSING:
Whisk everything together and let set at room temprature while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

TO MAKE THE SALAD:
Season the beef with salt and pepper and sear in a hot skillet (preferably cast iron) for 2-3 minutes per side, or until medium rare. Let the meat rest for a few minutes, then slice on the bias and toss with 2-3 tablespoons of the dressing.

Mix the remaining salad ingredients (except the peanuts) in a large bowl, and add dressing until everything is well coated. Divide the salad between two plates, mound the beef on top and sprinkle with the chopped peanuts.

NOTES:
This salad is truly EVIL! It's quite a jazzy salad, made up of riffs of hot and cold, soft and crunchy, spicy and sweet. The chile paste-laced dressing plays a trick on the tongue. It sneaks up, hidden behind vegetables and noodles. When suddenly you find your mouth warming up, it seems logical to have another bite, expecting the cucumber and mango to cool it. This, of course, only brings more chile dressing and more burn. An evil cycle, but a pleasurable one. This salad is also great way to clean out bits and pieces of produce from the fridge. You can make it with a wide range of vegetables for different layers of soft and crisp. All the salad ingredients listed are just suggestions; the recipe takes well to improvisation. It's also wonderful with just the noodles, cabbage, cucumbers, and tomatoes and maybe some mixed seafood (squid, shrimp, scallops) or chicken.

Makes 2 healthy servings