Grilled Steak and Rice Noodle Salad with Crunchy Veg and Chili Lime Dressing

RECIPE BY KEVIN O'CONNOR JUNE 12th, 2020

This south-east Asia inspired salad is the perfect dinner for a warm summer night. Don’t worry if you don’t have fish sauce, you can substitute soy sauce or tamari.

Ingredients

• 1lb of raw skirt steak or flank steak
• 1 8oz pack of brown rice noodles (vermicelli)
• 2 limes
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 4 tablespoons California Select EVOO, plus a few extra drizzles
• 1 teaspoon coconut sugar
• 1 teaspoon of sriracha or chili sauce
• ½ English cucumber (20-30 thin slices)
• 2-3 radishes (20-30 thin slices)
• 1 cup of toasted cashew nuts – roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup of fresh mint leaves plus a bit more for garnish  

Method

1. Start by cooking the rice noodles according to the package’s directions. Make sure the cooked noodles are rinsed well under cold water after cooking. Toss the cooked noodles in a small drizzle of EVOO to prevent them from sticking back together.
2. Bring the steak out of the refrigerator twenty minutes prior to cooking. Rub the steak down with a drizzle of EVOO and a heaving sprinkling of salt. Heat a cast iron pan or grill to a high heat and cook the steak for 2-3 minutes on each side on high, or until medium rare. Set the steak aside, preferably on a cooling rack, to rest.
3. For the dressing, whisk together the fish sauce, EVOO, coconut sugar, juice of two limes, and the sriracha/chili sauce. This can be done ahead of time. In a large mixing bowl toss together the rice noodles, sliced cucumber, sliced radish, mint and cashews with ¾ of the dressing and a few pinches of salt. Transfer salad to a large plate.
4. Once the steak has rested for 8-10 minutes, thinly slice against the grain. Adorn the rice noodle salad with slices of skirt steak and finish by spooning the remaining dressing over the steak.