Thai Beef Salad

350g topside beef

2 fresh chillies

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tbsp fish sauce (Nam Pla)

1 tbsp oil

3 tbsp lime juice

½ tsp grated ginger

1 tsp sugar

50g cucumber, sliced

2 tomatoes, cut into wedges

½ red onion, thinly sliced

A handful of radishes, halved

2 spring onions, chopped

Coriander leaves to garlic

This is a late lunch. The boy is going out tonight so this is meant to keep him going, rather than fill him up. It’s a warm day for a change so something light and fresh seems the right thing.

Cook the meat ahead of time so it can cool completely before being added to the salad.

Grill the meat for 4 minutes on each side – it should be slightly pink in the middle. Set it aside to rest and cool. In a mortar, crush the chillies, garlic and garlic until you have a smooth paste. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar and oil.

When it comes to the cucumber, do something fun with it. Either:

·         Peel it and slice it along its middle. Scoop out the seeds with a tea spoon and slice thickly.

·         Leave it whole but peel strips a cm apart so you get a stripy effect. Slice thinly.

·         Leave whole, peel it, and run a fork down each side for a ridged effect. Slice

No reason for messing about with the cucumber other than that you love him. Add to a bowl with the tomatoes, onion, radishes and spring onion. (A combination of red and yellow tomatoes would be pretty but I only have red ones).

Add the steak and the dressing and toss gently. Garnish with the coriander.  The boy is dashing about. I’m leaving it on the table for him to pick at as he chooses. I’m having mine listening to the new Inspector Rebus Mystery on Radio 4. I’ve left him a fork but I’m using chopsticks for the fun of having a salad with them!