YUM NUA RECIPE

Yum Nua Recipe image

This adaptable Thai salad with beef, aromatics, and plenty of herbs and lime juice is as spicy as it is bright.

Provided by @MakeItYours

Number Of Ingredients 22

Ingredients

½ cup sweet white rice or regular short-grain or other white rice
¼ cup fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
½ tsp. sugar
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1 lb. top sirloin steak, New York strip steak, or other nicely marbled cut of beef, sliced ¼" thick
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
2 tsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, plus more for grate or skillet
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1 lb. small and medium tomatoes, halved
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 lemongrass stalks, tops trimmed, tough outer layers removed, very thinly sliced
2 long hot chiles, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 cups cilantro leaves with tender stems
2 cups mint leaves
1 lb. cucumbers, thinly sliced, plus more for serving
Lime wedges (for serving)
A spice mill or mortar and pestle

Steps:

Dressing and rice powder: Place rice in a medium skillet and set over medium heat. Cook, tossing often, until golden brown and deeply nutty-smelling, 12-15 minutes. Let cool, then finely grind in a spice mill or mortar and pestle; set aside.
Meanwhile, stir lime juice, fish sauce, red pepper flakes, and sugar in a small bowl until sugar dissolves. Season with salt and black pepper.
Do ahead: You can toast and grind the rice a few days in advance (as Suntaranon does). If the smokiness and aroma have faded at all, just toss it in briefly hot skillet to refresh.
Beef and salad: Place beef in a large bowl and add fish sauce, sugar, and 2 Tbsp. oil. Let sit at room temperature 1 hour, or cover and chill up to 1 day ahead.
Prepare a grill for medium-high heat or heat a large skillet over medium-high. Oil grate or lightly coat skillet with oil. Season beef with salt and black pepper and grill until browned underneath, about 2 minutes. Turn over and grill on other side just until lightly browned (meat should still be slightly pink in the center), about 45 seconds.
Toss tomatoes, shallot, scallions, lemongrass, chiles, garlic, cilantro, mint, 1 lb. cucumbers, and 1 tsp. rice powder in a medium bowl to combine. Drizzle half of dressing over and toss to coat. Taste and season with salt and black pepper.
Add beef to salad. Drizzle with more dressing as desired and top with more cucumber slices and 1 tsp. rice powder (save remaining rice powder in an airtight container at room temperature for another use). Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.