Warm, Fragrant Thai Steak Salad Perfect for the Summer Sure to Come

I cinched the hood on my jacket a little bit tighter as I walked the path toward the deserted playground at . “Where is he?” I thought, looking around. It was cold and the playground was under construction. A light rain began to fall, explaining the absence of any workers that afternoon.

My phone rang. It was him, my hookup. “Is that you in the white parka?” he asked. Way over by the road, I saw him exit his green pickup truck and make his way toward me.

“Hey, how’s it going?” I asked when he reached the playground. He was looking around to see if the workers might be coming back soon. Then he reached into his jacket and pulled out a small baggie filled with fragrant green leaves.

“I hope no one is watching us,” he said, and we started laughing a bit nervously. "This might look a little funny."

The exchange did look highly suspicious. Plus, most would consider the green leaves in question to be a weed. With its tendency to spread, mentha sachalinensis, is quite invasive if left unchecked. More commonly known as mint, this herb often grows wild, and I feel like a sucker every time I pay money for a package of it at the store.

Hence, my hookup, whom I normally refer to as “boss,” Kirkland Patch editor Greg Johnston. An avid vegetable and herb gardener, I just knew he would have a stash of mint close at hand. My dinner menu called for warm Thai steak salad that evening, and I had everything but the mint.

So we met at the park, where he was working on a story about the playground being replaced.

With the herb in hand, I walked back to my car, glancing around as I now felt a tiny bit guilty just because of appearances. But the feeling quickly passed as I drove home to prep one of my favorite meals to celebrate the summer that I know must be around the corner.

It is now a couple of months later and though the weather hasn’t improved all that much, I was delighted to see blue skies and sunshine out my window -- time to cook a flavorful summer lunch. Since eating alone is never very enjoyable, I decided to take the ingredients over to my friend Amy O’Neill’s house. She is always looking for new recipes and I thought she might enjoy this simple-to-prepare protein-packed salad.

When cooking in another person’s kitchen, I like to double check on the cooking equipment necessary to prepare a dish. Her beautiful stainless steel gas grill was a marked improvement on my rusting black pile of trash and she assured me that she did possess a skillet.

However, I made the mistake of leaving my knife at home. I’m getting picky as I age about using a knife with a sharp edge. To be fair, my friend would like me to point out that most of her good kitchen equipment is still back at her house in Maine.

The grass-fed flank steak had been marinating for about an hour by the time it hit the grill, giving off a sizzle. With our two busy kids safely zipped into the trampoline, we got to work prepping the rest of the ingredients. Amy picked the mint and cilantro leaves while I minced the lemongrass.

“This really makes me want a mojito,” Amy said, giving voice to what we were both thinking.

As the rare-grilled steak rested, I vertically sliced an onion, squeezed lime juice and measured out the fish sauce. We debated about how many red pepper flakes to include. I attempted to thinly slice the steak into strips against the grain, but only managed to chew up the edges with the aforementioned knife.

“The photo might not be as pretty, but it will still taste delicious,” I said, as Amy started apologizing for the sorry state of the knife.

Everything was briefly heated in the skillet and then it was time to eat. We took full advantage of the lovely afternoon, eating our warm Thai steak salad outside on the patio. Crunchy onions, chewy steak, fragrant herbs, tangy lime juice and some peppery heat all add up to a very specific sensation that the lazy days of summer are just about here.

The only thing to do now is to procure my own mint plant -- to avoid a potentially embarrassing explanation to one of Kirkland’s finest.

Warm Thai Steak Salad

For the marinade:
¼ c soy sauce
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 TB minced fresh lemongrass
One 2-lb flank steak

Mix together the soy sauce, pepper and lemongrass. Coat the steak and let is stand at room temperature for 30-60 minutes.

Heat a grill on high heat. Grill the steak for about four minutes on each side so that it is still pink in the center. Let it rest while preparing the rest of the ingredients. Slice it in half lengthwise, then in ¼ inch strips against the grain.

In a large wok or skillet, heat together the following ingredients until hot:
3 TB fresh lime juice
2 TB Asian fish sauce
2 TB freshly minced lemongrass
1 TB crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
½ tsp sugar

Add the steak and 1 TB of marinade to the skillet. Cook for 30 seconds. Turn off the heat and fold in:

1 onion, thinly sliced vertically
½ c mint leaves
¼ c cilantro leaves

Coat everything with the sauce and transfer to a platter. Serve warm with extra lime wedges.