Beef salad with thai flavours

Ensure beef is at room temperature. Preheat oven to 200°C fan-bake. Trim beef, removing any fat or silver skin, then tie with string (this helps to keep its shape and cook evenly). Heat oil in a heavy-based casserole over a medium-high heat. When oil is hot add beef and brown on both sides, grinding over plenty of black pepper and sprinkling generously with salt.

Transfer casserole to oven and roast for 7 minutes, remove from oven, turn meat over, return and cook for a further 7 minutes. Transfer beef to a board and cool. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours (or overnight).

Slice beef thinly, stack in a container and cover with plastic food wrap. (The beef will regain its redness once it is out of the fridge and separated into slices.)

For the dressing, whisk the oil in a bowl with the lime juice, fish sauce, salt, sugar, garlic and 1 finely chopped chilli (reserve the other chilli for garnishing). Peel lime with a serrated knife, then slice in between each piece of membrane and release the lime fillets. Cut into small pieces and add to the dressing along with any juice (squeeze the juice from the membranes, too). Once the dressing has had a chance to settle for a few minutes, whisk and taste, and add more chilli if it’s a bit flat.

Put the lettuce, beansprouts, spring onions, tomatoes and cucumber on a large platter and scatter most of the herbs on top. Add beans, if using. Spoon some of the dressing over the salad. Toss well. Arrange the beef on top.

Slice remaining chilli finely. Scatter the rest of the herbs and the sliced chilli over the salad, then drizzle with remaining dressing. Toss lightly and serve immediately.