 |
Best of January – Thai Steak
Served with rice and a spicy cabbage salad
|
|
Serves 4
Prep time: 15 minutes Total time: 35 minutes |
- 1 large green cabbage
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 2 limes, preferably organic
- 1 jalapeno or other chile pepper
- ½ cup salted peanuts or almonds
- Curry paste (Thai Green if available; you’ll need a couple tbsps.)
- One 15 oz. can coconut milk
- 2 cups jasmine or other aromatic white rice
- 1-1/2 lbs. sirloin steak
Shopping List
- Black pepper
- Canola oil
- Fish sauce
- Sea salt
- Sugar
Pantry Items
- Chef’s knife
- Food processor
- Heavy skillet
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Paring knife
- Strainer
- Tongs
- Whisk
- Wooden spoons
- Zester or Microplane
Tools
- Wine: A Riesling would taste really good with this!
- Dessert: Apple Crumble
Suggestions
- When you walk in the door
- Don’t refrigerate the steak
- Get out Pantry Items
- Get out Tools
- Assemble the ingredients
- Open the wine and refrigerate
- Prep
- Peel off any outer leaves of the cabbage that look damaged. Cut the cabbage in quarters and remove the core from each then thinly slice them (if you have a food processor that can thinly slice, use it here).
- Rinse and pat dry the cilantro. Pluck ½ cup leaves.
- Zest ½ a lime. Mince the zest. Squeeze the limes into a measuring cup (you need about 1/3 cup juice).
- Trim the chile pepper, remove the seeds and if you want to remove heat, also remove the white pith. Mince half the chile.
- Coarsely chop the peanuts or almonds.
- Put 2 cups of the rice into the strainer and rinse it really, really well under cold water.
- Open the coconut milk.
- Start Cooking
- Put the rice in the medium saucepan with 4 cups water and 1/2 tsp. salt. Bring the rice to a boil over medium-high heat. Let it boil until there are bubble holes on top of the rice, about 10 minutes.
- Time to cook the steak. If your steak is very lean, put 2 tsps. oil in the pan. With or without oil, put the pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking (or when the pan is hot), put the steak in the pan and cook it on one side for about 5 minutes.
- While the steak is cooking, make the dressing for the cabbage. In a large bowl whisk together 2 tbsps. oil, 1/4 cup lime juice, the minced lime zest, 1 tbsp. fish sauce, and 2 tsps. sugar.
- Mince the cilantro leaves and whisk them into the dressing.
- Check and turn the steak. Generously season it with salt and pepper. Cook it until it’s to your liking. If you like it medium rare, (this is what we recommend) 10 minutes total is plenty of time.
- Add the cabbage to the dressing and toss, toss, toss. Add the nuts, toss a couple more times, then taste for seasoning and adjust.
- Check the rice for bubble holes. As soon as you see them, turn the heat to low, cover the rice, and cook it for another 10 minutes.
- You’ve got a few minutes, so set the table and do a little clean up.
- Check the steak. If it’s cooked the way you like it, transfer it to a platter.
- If the rice has cooked for an additional 10 minutes, turn off the heat under it and forget about it. Don’t even peek – it needs to plump undisturbed.
- Pour the coconut milk into the pan you used for the steak, which should still be over medium heat. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add 1 tbsp. curry paste, 1 tbsp. lime juice, 2 tsps. fish sauce, the minced pepper and 1 tsp. sugar and bring the milk to a boil. Cook, stirring, until the milk has thickened and smells delicious, 4-5 minutes. Taste for seasoning – you might want to add more curry paste. Remove from the heat.
- Thinly slice the steak on the bias. Place it back on the platter, and pour the coconut sauce over it. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.
- Put the rice in a bowl, garnish it with cilantro sprigs too and take it, along with the steak and the cabbage salad, to the table. Don’t forget the wine!
