BEEF SKEWERS WITH GREEN APPLE SALAD

Mai Pham, a chef and cookbook author, came to the United States from Vietnam. In this dish, she substitutes tart green apples for green mango, a more common ingredient in Southeast Asian cuisine.

4 servings

Yield: INGREDIENTS

Bamboo skewers 1pound flank steak 3stalks lemon grass, root end trimmed, tough outer leaves discarded 1 tablespoon minced shallot

4 teaspoons Asian fish sauce

2 teaspoons soy sauce 2 teaspoons sugar Dressing:

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons water 3 tablespoons sugar 3tablespoons fish sauce

1 large garlic clove, chopped

1/2 teaspoon minced serrano chile, see cook’s notes

Salad:

4 unpeeled Granny Smith apples

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves 1/4 cup chopped, salted, roasted peanuts

DIRECTIONS

1. Soak bamboo skewers in water. Pat beef dry and cut across the grain into 1/4-inch thick slices.

Cut a 3-inch portion off the root end of lemon grass; cut each of these portions into slices (upper stalks can be discarded or used to flavor curry or broth). Mince it or place in mini-food processor and pulse to finely mince. In a nonreactive bowl, stir minced lemon grass with shallots, 4 teaspoons fish sauce, soy sauce and 2 teaspoons sugar; add beef and toss. Marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes.

2. Prepare grill; heat to medium-high and clean grate (I like to clean with a folded paper towel held with tongs and dipped in vegetable oil). Place all dressing ingredients in blender; puree until smooth and set aside.

3. Thread any small pieces of beef on bamboo skewers to prevent them from falling through grate. Grill beef slices, in batches if necessary, uncovered, turning once, until lightly charred, about 2 minutes per batch. Transfer to plate.

4. Cut unpeeled apples into matchstick shapes; gently toss with twothirds of the dressing plus basil, cilantro and peanuts. Mound onto 4 plates and top with beef. Drizzle some of the remaining dressing over the beef.

Source: “Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table,” by Mai Pham, as adapted in “The Gourmet Cookbook,” by Ruth Reichl

PHOTO BY CATHY THOMAS Grilled flank steak is served atop a salad with tart apples in place of green mango, which is more commonly used in Southeast Asian cooking.