Thai beef salad

Molasses adds a note of complexity to this bright, beautiful salad.

Flickr user erik forsberg (CC BY 2.0)

Always a hit with the family, feel free to adjust the amount of chile peppers accordingly. Chile peppers owe their heat to capsaicin. Capsaicin is being studied as a treatment for sensory nerve fiber disorders. While I don’t often recommend nightshades such as chile peppers and tomatoes, in moderation, they do offer plenty of health benefits. If your body does not react well to them, by all means, leave them out. This tasty salad will still be delicious!
 
Prep

• 2 Thai chile peppers
  
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 inches fresh ginger
  
• ½ cup cilantro
• ½ cup basil
• ½ cup red onion
• 1 cucumber
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 pound flank steak
• 4 limes
• 1 head romaine

 
Seed and chop chile peppers. Peel and roughly chop garlic and ginger. Chop cilantro. Cut basil into ribbons. Thinly slice onion crosswise. Slice cucumber and tomatoes. Cut steak slices across the grain. Juice limes. Tear romaine leaves into bite-sized pieces.
 
Sauce

• ¼ cup tamari
  
• ¼ cup fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses

 
In a blender or a food processor, pulse peppers, garlic and ginger until finely chopped. Add tamari, fish sauce, molasses, cilantro and lime juice; process until well combined. Separate ⅓ cup of mixture for salad dressing, set aside.
 
Dressing

• ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  

 
Whisk reserved sauce with sesame oil to make salad dressing.
 
Salad
In a large bowl, toss romaine, basil, onion, cucumber and tomatoes with salad dressing.
 
Steak

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté steak over medium-high heat for 1 minute per side and toss with remaining sauce.
 
Serve
Divide salad among dishes, top with steak slices.
 
Preparation: 20 minutes
Serves: 4