Thai Ground Beef Salad Recipes

THAI BEEF SALAD

Steps:

• Place the birds eye chili, garlic, cilantro stems and a small pinch of salt into a mortar and pestle. Grind until a smooth paste forms.
• Add the remaining Dressing ingredients. Adjust sugar, lime juice and fish sauce to taste. Set aside.
• Alternative: Finely mince garlic, coriander and chilli. Use side of knife to smear into paste on cutting board, then shake in jar with remaining ingredients.
• Preheat a skillet over high heat until screaming hot and smoking.
• Drizzle the beef with 1/2 tbsp of oil on both sides, then sprinkle with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Cook the beef to your liking (Note 2).
• Cook times: for steak 2cm / 4/5" thick, 2 min on each side for medium rare (until internal temp is 52°C/125°F) OR 2 1/2 min each side for medium (internal temp 57°C/135°F).
• Remove the beef from the skillet onto a plate. Loosely tent with foil and set aside for 10 minutes to rest.
• Place lettuce in a bowl, drizzle with 1 tbsp Dressing and toss.
• Slice the beef thinly against the grain (Note 2) and place in a bowl with the remaining Salad ingredients. Dress with most remaining Dressing and toss gently.
• Pile dressed lettuce onto plate(s), pile over beef and other salad ingredients.
• Sprinkle with peanuts and garnish with extra cilantro/coriander and mint leaves if using, drizzle with remaining Dressing. Serve immediately!

LAAB - THAI GROUND BEEF SALAD

Steps:

• Toast rice in a dry skillet (no oil) over medium-high heat. Cook rice, shaking pan frequently until rice turns golden, about 8 minutes.
• While rice is toasting, combine beef, 3 tablespoons of the lime juice, Fish Sauce, shallots and ginger in a bowl.
• When rice is golden, pour on plate to cool. In same skillet over high heat, add beef mixture. Cook, breaking meat into small pieces, about 5-7 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from heat.
• Add remaining tablespoon of lime juice, scallions, mint, cilantro, Garlic Chili Pepper Sauce and sugar to meat. Mix well.
• Add cooled rice to spice grinder or blender, and grind into a sandy powder. Add to meat mixture and mix well.
• Spoon laab into a serving bowl lined with lettuce leaves, or serve on individual leaves for a pretty presentation. Garnish with whole mint leaves.

LAAB - THAI GROUND MEAT SALAD

Steps:

• Dry roast the rice in a skillet until browned, then pound or process to a coarse powder and set aside.
• Brown the ground meat with the garlic- If using ground chicken, saute the garlic for a minute in oil first.
• Add shallots, scallions, mint leaves and roasted rice powder.
• Stir fry until the shallots become limp.
• Remove from heat.
• Add remaining ingredients.
• Let chill slightly.
• Serve with rice, cellophane noodles or wrapped in lettuce leaves.