Vietnamese beef and cucumber salad

Tam West

Beef

350 g	Beef rump steaks, trimmed of fat and sinew (Main)
1 tsp	Soy sauce
1 tsp	Fish sauce

Dressing

3 Tbsp	Lime juice
1 Tbsp	Fish sauce
2 tsp	Water
2 tsp	Brown sugar
½ small	Garlic cloves, sliced

Salad and noodles

2	Lebanese cucumber, or half a skinny telegraph cucumber
1 cup	Watercress, sprigs
6	Snake beans, or 18 baby round beans, ends trimmed
½ cup	Fresh mint, large leaves roughly chopped
¼ cup	Vietnamese mint leaves, large ones halved
1	Green chilli, cut into small dice
1 packet	Rice noodles, cooked and refreshed in cold water

Directions

1. Marinate beef in soy and fish sauces for 30 minutes.
2. Stir dressing ingredients together until sugar has dissolved.
3. Heat a cast iron pan or non-stick pan to medium-high heat. Lift beef from marinade and add to pan. Cook for about 2 minutes each side until medium-rare. Remove to a clean plate and set aside for 5 minutes.
4. Halve cucumbers lengthwise and deseed, then slice into ribbons using a mandolin or sharp vegetable peeler. Cut beans into 4cm lengths and add to a wide mixing bowl with cucumber.
5. Add watercress, herbs and chilli to bowl.
6. Cut beef lengthwise into 3cm wide strips, then slice crosswise into bite-sized slices. Place beef on top of salad, pour dressing over salad. Toss gently and transfer to a serving platter. Serve with cool rice noodles.