START TO FINISH: 40 minutes
SERVINGS: 4
For this Vietnamese-inspired beef and rice noodle salad, we liked the rich, meaty flavor of sirloin tips, a cut sometimes sold as flap meat or faux hanger steak. It’s fine if the tips are in two or three pieces, as the meat will be sliced for serving. If you can’t find sirloin tips, flank steak is a good substitute. If the flank is of an even ½-inch thickness, it does not need to be pounded. We used Thai Kitchen thin rice noodles (sometimes called rice vermicelli). And if the noodles are in very long strands, snip them a few times with scissors after draining to make them easier to eat. If the taste of the fish sauce is too strong in the dressing, thin it with a few teaspoons of water.
Don’t skip pounding the sirloin tips. This allows the marinade to penetrate the muscle fibers and helps the meat cook evenly. Don’t slice the meat immediately after cooking. A short rest allows the juices to redistribute.
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon fish sauce, divided
2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger, divided
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons packed light brown sugar, divided
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 pound sirloin tips, patted dry
12 ounces thin rice noodles
¼ cup lime juice
1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 cup lightly packed fresh mint, torn
1 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro
½ cup dry roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
In a medium bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of the ginger, 2 teaspoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Set aside. Place the sirloin tips between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and, using a meat mallet, gently pound to an even ½-inch thickness. Add the beef to the fish sauce mixture and turn to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and immediately remove the pot from the heat. Let stand, stirring 2 or 3 times, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain in a colander, rinse under cold water and drain again. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ¼ cup fish sauce, the remaining 1 tablespoon ginger, the remaining 3 tablespoons brown sugar, the lime juice, 2 tablespoons water and the chili-garlic sauce until the sugar dissolves.
In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat the oil until barely smoking. Add the beef and cook until browned on both sides, turning once, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, to the noodles add ½ cup of the fish sauce-lime juice mixture, the mint, cilantro and peanuts; toss to combine. Transfer to a serving platter or individual bowls.
Cut each piece of meat into thirds with the grain, then slice as thinly as possible against the grain. Place the slices on top of the noodles and drizzle with the accumulated juices. Serve with the remaining fish sauce-lime juice mixture on the side.