Green Papaya and Young Coconut Charred Beef Salad with a Gin Chilli Dressing

SERVES 4 PREP 20 mins COOKING 8 mins

400 g beef sirloin

1 tbsp each brown sugar, soy sauce

and vegetable oil

3 cups (300 g) green mango or

papaya shredded*

1 cup (100 g) shredded young coconut*

1 telegraph cucumber, seeds

removed (used in dressing), sliced

1 bunch mint, leaves picked

1 bunch Thai or purple basil, leaves

picked

roasted peanuts and fried shallots

to serve

DRESSING

2 tbsp Twelfth Hour Dry Gin

cucumber seeds (see left)

1 tbsp caster sugar

juice of 1 lime

1 tsp rice wine vinegar

1 long red chilli, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, finely grated

1 makrut lime leaf, finely chopped

2 tsp fish sauce

Heat a chargrill pan or barbecue. Toss beef, sugar, soy and oil in a bowl. Add to pan and cook, turning every 1–2 minutes and brushing with remaining sauce, for 6 minutes or until seared and cooked rare or medium-rare, depending on how you like it. Set aside for 5 minutes to rest then thinly slice. Combine all ingredients for the dressing and season to taste. Combine papaya, coconut, cucumber, most of the herbs, and beef in a serving bowl. Spoon over dressing and scatter with peanuts, fried shallots and remaining herbs.

*If you can’t find fresh you can use frozen and thaw it in the fridge overnight. Found in the freezer section at Asian grocers.