VIETNAMESE BEEF SALAD

My mother makes the tastiest Vietnamese beef salad that I have ever eaten. Try as I might, I cannot replicate hers! Her mix of expensive beef, coriander, mint, green onion, vermicelli noodles and Lebanese cucumber baffles me. Instead of frustrating myself trying to reproduce hers, I decided to make my very own concoction. I have recently gotten into using chinese cabbage, or wombok, in several asian dishes I cook, so this vegetable made the list, along with carrots, cucumber, green onion and of course garlic. I used these vegetables as I wanted to create a very fresh, crisp salad, however mint, red onion, purple cabbage and lettuce would also work. The ¼ teaspoon of chilli flakes does not give the dish much zing, so if you are looking for a spicy salad I would use ½- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes or add sambal oelek. The dressing was a last minute creation of a number of sauces and condiments in my fridge. 

INGREDIENTS

• 500g lean beef mince
• 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
• 1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil 
• 1 green onion, finely chopped
• 1 continental cucumber, cut into thin slices
• 1 medium carrot, cut into thin slices
• 100g wombok (Chinese cabbage), shredded
• Optional- 1 teaspoon crushed peanuts

Dressing

• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce 
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce 

COOKING 

1. In a wok, heat sesame oil on medium-high heat and swirl to coat. Add mince, garlic and chilli flakes and stir, breaking up lumps until all the mince is browned. 

2. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add rice noodles and stir occasionally for 3-4 minutes or until noodles are tender. Drain well. 

3. Make dressing by combining all ingredients in a screw-top jar and tossing well. 

4. Combine green onion, cucumber, carrot, wombok and cooked rice noodles in a large serving bowl. Pour dressing on top and toss well to combine. Add mince on top of salad and crushed peanuts, if you desire. 

x E