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© Copyright 1995-2023, Clay Irving <clay@panix.com>, Manhattan Beach, CA USA
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Recipe from: Saveur Magazine, June/July 2005, Issue 85
Servings: 2 to 4
This is a really nice dish. You could fry the shallots well in advance, and you can also buy fried shallots or onions at Asian stores and just keep them handy for this and other Asian dishes. I think you can also definitely play with the dressing a bit more if you want I like to make extra.
For the dressing:
1 2 birds-eye chilies, stemmed and chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
4 ½ teaspoons sugar
4 ½ teaspoons nước mắm (fish sauce)
juice and some pulp of ½ lime
Crush chilies, garlic, and sugar together with a mortar and pestle to a coarse paste. Transfer to a small bowl, stir in fish sauce, lime juice and pulp, and 1 ½ tablespoon water, and set dressing aside.
For the salad:
3 small shallots, peeled
½ cup vegetable oil
2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed, tender inner parts only, minced
2 teaspoons nước mắm (fish sauce)
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
½ pound top loin steak, sliced against the grain into ¼ thick strips
1 green (unripe) mango, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
6 to 8 sprigs cilantro, chopped
¼ cup Asian basil leaves, torn into thirds
2 tablespoon unsalted roasted peanuts
Cut one of the shallots in half crosswise. Finely chop one of the halves, transfer to a shallow medium dish, and set aside. Thinly slice remaining shallots crosswise, spread out on paper towels, and let air dry for 30 minutes. Combine sliced shallots and oil in a heavy skillet and bring oil to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook shallots, stirring occasionally with a slotted metal spoon, until light golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Careful not to burn! Transfer the shallots to a paper towel to let drain and cool. Save cooking oil for another use, if desired, or discard.
Add lemongrass, nước mắm (fish sauce), soy sauce, and sugar to dish with chopped shallots and stir until sugar dissolves. Add beef, mix until well coated, and let marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare a charcoal grill. Grill beef over medium-hot heat, turning only once, until just cooked through, about one minute per side. Transfer grilled meat to a large bowl. Add mangoes and dressing and toss gently. Add cilantro, basil, peanuts, and fried shallots and toss gently again. Adjust seasonings and serve.