Thai Beef Salad

You will need...
300gr green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 2inch pieces
1 cup finely shredded iceberg lettuce
1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 red capsicum, thinly sliced
1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
1/2 cup bean sprouts, washed and drained
1/2 bunch of coriander, washed and picked
1 sprig mint, picked
2 shallots, sliced finely
1 small packet of vermicelli rice noodles
400gr beef rump

For the marinade...
1/2 bunch of coriander, washed and roughly chopped
1 shallot, sliced finely
2 dried chillies, chopped (use fresh if you wish)
2 tsp lemongrass paste (or 1 tsp ground lemongrass)
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 2cm knob of ginger, minced (I peel the ginger then squish it in the garlic crusher)
1 kaffir lime leaf, finely sliced
juice of 1/2 a lime
4 drops fish sauce
2 Tbs soy sauce
salt & pepper

For the sauce...
juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbs hoisin sauce
1 tsp shaved palm sugar
1 dried chilli, chopped
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup water

Method...
1. Combine all the marinade ingredients, and rub into the meat. Place in a resealable bag or in a bowl covered with glad wrap, in the fridge overnight.
2. To prepare the dish, boil the kettle, soak the rice noodles in boiling water for 1 minute or until soft, drain and place under running cold water to stop the cooking process. Allow to drain completely and mix with the remaining vegetables and herbs.

3. Cook the steak as desired- I used the char grill side of my barbecue to achieve that nice caramelised grilled flavour, but you can cook the steak in a frypan if you wish. I also like to serve the steak medium-rare for this dish but feel free to cook it to your liking.

4. Meanwhile mix up all the sauce ingredients in a saucepan on a low heat until the palm sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool before pouring onto the salad.

5. Slice the meat thinly and add to the salad, mix well to coat and serve. To garnish sprinkle with some extra chopped coriander or fresh mint

Note: If you like you can add some chopped peanuts or cashews!