Cook’s Illustrated

The New Best Recipe Book

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 ¼ lb. Flank steak
• Salt and pepper
• ¼ cup fish sauce
• ¼ cup lime juice
• 4 tbsp brown sugar
• ¼ tbsp red pepper flakes
• ½ med. Cucumber, peeled, seeded, sliced thin
• ½ small red onion, sliced thin
• 1 tbsp packed torn fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 tbsp packed torn fresh mint leaves
• 1 head bibb or boston lettuce
• ½ cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts, chopped coarse

Cook meat.

Whisk the fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, and pepper flakes together in a medium bowl until the sugar is dissolved. Remove half of the dressing from the bowl and set it aside in a large bowl. Cut the steak across the grain on the diagonal into 1/8-inch lengths. Add the steak to the smaller bowl with the dressing, toss to coat, and let marinate for 5 minutes.

Remove the steak from the dressing and discard the marinade. Toss the steak, cucumber, onion, cilantro, and mint with the reserved dressing in the larger bowl. Serve over lettuce. Drizzle the salad with any dressing left in the bowl and sprinkle it with the peanuts.

[Photo from MadMan the Mighty via Flickr]