Yum Neua (Beef Salad)
This recipe is very close to what I think Yum Neua. Yum Neua is the single dish that started me on an exploration of Thai cuisine. Before I tasted it, I never imagined the burst of flavors when one gets salty, sour, sweet, and hot at the same time.
1 1/2 pounds beef tenderloin, room temperature
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 leaf lettuce head
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 small red onion, thin sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 small cucumber
2 tablespoon nam pla
fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons palm sugar
1 lime, thin wedges
Preheat oven to 500?F. Set beef in small baking dish and roast for 20 minutes until rare. Let cool for 30 minutes, then refridgerate until cold, approximately 2 hours. Slice against grain into 1/4 inch by 1/4 inch pieces.
In a large bowl, combine meat strips, cilantro, mint, jalapeno and toss. In a small bowl, combine garlic, nam pla, palm sugar, and lime juice. Mix well. Pour this dressing over the meat and toss to coat.
Cover a large platter with lettuce leaves. Arrange the tomatoes around the outside, overlapping the slices, as necessary. Arrange cucumber slices inside the tomatoes, then the onion slices inside those.
Remove the meat from the dressing and mound in the center of the platter. Pour any dressing that remains over the meat. Cover with a damp towel and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.
Before serving, sprinkle with black pepper, and garnish with lime wedges.