Salads

Asian Beef and Green Noodle Salad

Name: Asian Beef and Green Noodle Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2 - 4 people
Ingredients: 500g piece of beef fillet; Sesame seed oil, for cooking; 1 large aubergine; 1/3 large cucumber, peeled, deseeded and sliced; 100g edamame beans, cooked; 200g spinach and cauliflower (or egg) noodles; Baby herb leaves, for garnish; Marinade/dressing:; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; 2 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated; 3 Tbsp soy sauce; 1 tsp sesame seed oil; 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar; 2 Tbsp honey; 2 star anise, crushed in a mortar and pestle; 1 cinnamon stick

Cooking guideline based on 3cm thick steak
Rare: 4 minutes on each side
Med-rare: 5 minutes on each side (recommended)
Medium: 6 minutes on each side
Well-done: Not recommended
Variations: Substitute fillet with rump or sirloin steak

Method

To make the marinade/dressing, mix together all the marinade ingredients in a bowl until well combined and pour into a zip lock bag.
Transfer the piece of fillet to the zip lock bag with the marinade and turn to coat. Place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to marinate, the longer the better.
Remove the beef from the marinade (reserving it for later), heat a splash of sesame oil in a frying pan over a high heat and cook the fillet to your preference (medium rare is recommended), see cooking guideline above and adjust the time according to the thickness of your steak.
Leave the meat to rest for half its cooking time.
Whilst the beef is resting, cut the aubergine into medium size cubes.
Heat a splash of sesame oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat and fry the aubergines until they are cooked through and golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Pour the reserved marinade into the same pan and cook for 3 minutes or until reduced and thickened. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve and set aside.
Cook the noodles according to the package instructions and strain.
In a bowl or on a platter, toss the noodles, cucumber, edamame beans and aubergines together.
Slice the beef into rounds and arrange on top of the noodle salad. Drizzle the warm dressing over the top and garnish with baby herb leaves.