TIGER CRIES SALAD (A SPICY THAI BEEF SALAD)

Steps:

• prepare a batch of thai sticky rice (aka thai sweet rice) to serve with this salad.
• note: if you're in a hurry or on a budget, you can leave out the scallions, cuke, tomatoes,& lemon and this salad will retain it's signature flavor.
• Marinade: Mix ingredients in a ziploc and let meat marinade from 2-24 hours in liquid.
• Char grill or broil meat to med rare, about 3-4 minutes per side.
• Let rest at least 10 minutes then slice VERY thin (1/4" or less) against the grain.
• *Usevery good quality meat for this dish, you want it to be fork-tender and melt-in-your-mouth!
• Dressing: Mix all dressing ingredients together 1+ hours before serving salad.
• (Be sure to taste and make any necessary adjustments…dressing should be SPICY, Sour, Salty and a just a wee bit Sweet in that order) You may want to make extra dressing to spoon over the sticky rice.
• Salad: Pour half of dressing over the red onions, lemon and cuke in a LARGE salad bowl and let them absorb the flavor, 15+ minutes.
• Add lettuce, tomatoes, scallions and MINT along with the rest of the dressing.
• Toss the salad until all ingredients are very well coated and mixed.
• Dish Salad onto plates and top with slices of cooked beef, make sure plenty of dressing is included in each serving.
• Add a serving of sticky rice to each plate.
• Serving Suggestion: Very pretty to serve this salad on a bed of Purple Cabbage Leaves.
• Perfect Sticky Rice: Soak 1-2 pounds of Thai Sweet Rice in lukewarm water in a large bowl for 3 hours- drain& reserve water to use in steaming.
• Line bottom of bamboo steamer (the stackable sort used for veggies and such) with parchment paper (or cheesecloth sprayed with Pam).
• Fill steamer with soaked rice and cover.
• Pour rice soaking water into wok or dutch oven, add some fresh water until approx 3" depth.
• Place steamer over water in pan, bring water to boil then reduce to strong simmer-- don't let water cook away.
• Steam rice for approx 25 minutes, let sit an additional 5 minutes with lid on.
• To Make Toasted Rice Powder: Toast raw sweet rice in a saute pan on top of stove just as you would sesame seeds-- until very light golden brown.
• Use a coffee grinder, blender or food processor to grind to a fine consistency- I like mine fine as white sugar but any testure from cous cous, cornmeal, flour, etc is just fine.
• Adds an interesting, nutty and essential flavor to the dressing.