| It takes bold flavors to stand up to the | | | | meat, then place in a shallow dish (in case |
| smoky richness of grilled beef, and this | | | | of leaks) and chill at least 4 hours and up |
| salad delivers. A tangle of rice-stick | | | | to 8. Bring steak to room temperature 30 |
| noodles cradles Asian greens, apples, and | | | | minutes before grilling. |
| mint, and tender slices of flank steak top | | | | |
| things off. The finishing touch? A drizzle of | | | | Prepare grill for cooking over medium-hot |
| sweet dressing tangy with fish sauce and | | | | charcoal (moderate heat for gas). |
| fiery with red-pepper flakes. | | | | |
| | | | Remove steak from marinade (discard marinade) |
| For steak | | | | and pat dry with paper towels. Grill, |
| | | | uncovered unless using a gas grill, over |
| 1/4 cup Asian fish sauce | | | | direct heat, turning over once, until |
| | | | medium-rare, 12 to 14 minutes total. |
| 2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh | | | | |
| ginger | | | | Transfer steak to a cutting board and let |
| | | | stand, uncovered, about 15 minutes. |
| 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped | | | | |
| | | | Assemble salad while steak rests: |
| 2 tablespoons soy sauce | | | | |
| | | | Whisk together lime juice, water, sugar, fish |
| 2 tablespoons sugar | | | | sauce, and red-pepper flakes in a bowl until |
| | | | sugar is dissolved, then stir in shallots. |
| 2 lb flank steak | | | | |
| | | | Cook noodles in a 5-quart pot of boiling |
| For salad | | | | salted water until just tender, 4 to 5 |
| | | | minutes. Drain in a colander, then rinse |
| 1/2 cup fresh lime juice | | | | under cold water and drain well. Transfer to |
| | | | a bowl and toss with 1/2 cup dressing. |
| 6 tablespoons water | | | | 3Working around core of each apple, cut thin |
| | | | slices (about 1/8 inch thick) with slicer, |
| 6 tablespoons sugar | | | | then stack slices. Cut slices lengthwise into |
| | | | 1/4-inch-wide matchsticks. |
| 6 tablespoons Asian fish sauce | | | | |
| | | | Combine apples, greens, and mint in a large |
| 1 1/2 teaspoons dried hot red-pepper flakes | | | | bowl. Add 1/2 cup dressing and toss well to |
| | | | coat. |
| 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots (2 medium) | | | | |
| | | | Thinly slice steak across the grain. |
| 8 oz dried vermicelli rice-stick noodles* | | | | |
| | | | Arrange noodles on a large platter and mound |
| 2 medium Granny Smith apples | | | | greens on top of noodles. Arrange steak |
| | | | slices on greens and sprinkle with peanuts. |
| 7 oz Asian salad mix (16 cups loosely packed; | | | | Serve at room temperature with remaining |
| see cooks' note, below) | | | | dressing on the side. |
| | | | |
| 1 cup fresh mint leaves, torn into pieces if | | | | Cooks' notes: |
| large | | | | |
| | | | • Packaged Asian salad mix can be found |
| 1/2 cup salted roasted peanuts (sometimes | | | | at many supermarkets, or you can use a blend |
| labeled "cocktail peanuts"), chopped | | | | of greens such as tatsoi, mizuna, baby |
| | | | arugula, mustard greens, or pea shoots. |
| Special equipment: an adjustable-blade slicer | | | | |
| | | | • If you aren't able to grill outdoors, |
| | | | steak can be cooked in a hot lightly oiled |
| Marinate and grill steak: | | | | well-seasoned large (2-burner) ridged grill |
| | | | pan over moderately high heat, turning over |
| Whisk together fish sauce, ginger, garlic, | | | | once, until medium-rare, 12 to 14 minutes |
| soy sauce, and sugar in a small bowl until | | | | total. |
| sugar is dissolved. Pour marinade into a | | | | |
| large sealable plastic bag. Pat steak dry and | | | | • Dressing can be made 3 hours ahead |
| place in bag, then press out excess air and | | | | and kept, covered, at room temperature. |
| seal bag. Turn bag over 2 or 3 times to coat | | | | |