Vietnamese Sandwiches & Cucumber Salad
When we get together to have a little dish meeting, it’s not always guaranteed we’re going to talk about the little dish. Sometimes we might end up just watching Treme or playing on our laptops. Productive or not, a little dish meeting is always an excellent reason to cook.
Last week I was in the mood for some Asian flavor and decided to cook us Vietnamese Steak Sandwiches (another recipe from Everyday Food) and an Asian Cucumber Salad. Both were pretty easy to whip together and I was particularly impressed with how quickly the meat took on the flavor of the marinade. (It only soaked in it for one hour.) Matt cooked the steak because I’m not so great with grilling. Medium rare and thinly sliced, the steak was piled on a baguette and then topped with fresh carrots, scallions, and cilantro dressed in a sweet and spicy garlic vinaigrette. Amazing. My only critique was that I wish I had made more of the vinaigrette because it added so much flavor.
The accompanying Asian Sesame-Cucumber Salad was something I found on chow.com while looking for a Asian-inspired side. One of the comments mentioned that the sesame oil was overwhelming so instead of the full two tablespoons, I added about one and a half. I think that was the perfect amount, although it’s an easy fix to add more if you prefer it full force. It’s an excellent side for this sandwich because it’s light and tangy, but I would really like to eat it all by itself as a snack. It’s addictive. Make it. You’ll like it.
Recipe for the flank steak in the sandwich is first, then the actual sandwich recipe. Last is the salad. Enjoy!
Flank Steak with Lime Marinade (from Everyday Food)
1/3 c. (about 4 limes) freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 scallions (about 1/3 c.), thinly sliced
2 tbsp. minced, peeled fresh ginger
1/2 tsp. red-pepper flakes
1 1/2 lbs flank steak
Vegetable oil, for grates
Coarse salt and ground black pepper
In a resealable plastic bag, combine lime juice, soy sauce, scallions, ginger, and red-pepper flakes. Add steak, and seal bag (place in a dish to catch any leaks); marinate in the refrigerator, turning occasionally, up to 1 hour.
Heat grill to high; lightly oil grates. Remove steak from marinade, letting excess drip off (discard marinade); season with salt and black pepper. Place on grill; cover. Cook, turning once, until meat reaches desired doneness, 6 to 8 minutes for medium-rare. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing thinly.
Vietnamese Steak Sandwiches (also from Everyday Food)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. red-pepper flakes
1 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tbsp. water
2 carrots, grated
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 c. packed fresh cilantro leaves
4 hero rolls
1 lb. sliced flank steak with lime marinade
In a small bowl, stir together garlic, sugar, red-pepper flakes, vinegar, and water.
In another bowl, toss together carrots, scallions, and cilantro leaves. Toss with half the vinegar mixture.
Split and lightly toast hero rolls; dividing evenly, layer with carrot mixture and sliced flank steak. Drizzle with remaining vinegar mixture, if desired.
Asian Sesame-Cucumber Salad (from chow.com)
3 cucumbers, peeled and seeded
1 tbsp. kosher salt
2 tbsp. white sesame seeds
2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Peel and seed cucumbers and cut on the diagonal into thin slices. Toss the cucumber pieces with kosher salt, transfer to a colander, and let drain for 1 hour.
Toast white sesame seeds in a dry skillet until they’re golden brown. Whisk together rice wine vinegar, toasted sesame oil, sugar, and crushed red pepper flakes.
Rinse the cucumber slices thoroughly under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Toss the cucumbers with the dressing and toasted sesame seeds and serve.
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