This Wagyu beef Thai noodle salad makes a wonderful summer supper. As with all great Asian style salads it is a symphony of flavors and textures. Using premium ingredients will set yours apart. Wagyu hanger steak can be tricky to source but is loaded with flavor. I’m always partial to bison tenderloin and frequently use end trimmings from a tenderloin for this salad.

Divide Wagyu beef hanging tender into two hanger steaks by cutting out the sinew divider. ( slip one into a freezer bag and either freeze or save for another dinner)

Marinade: combine 1/4 cup lime juice, 1 tablespoons fish sauce, 1 pounded 6-inch stalk or 1 tsp prepared lemongrass, 1 tsp sesame oil, and 1 clove minced garlic, 3 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp honey.  Place meat in shallow dish and pour marinade over. Turn occasionally . Alternatively place all in gallon size zipper bag.

If you have a sous vide now is a great time to use it! After a quick marinade ( about 30 minutes) Put one hanger steak in vacuum bag and sous vide for at least 1 and up to 3 hours at 133 degrees. Ah, the beauty of the Sous vide. When ready to serve , remove meat from water bath and bag and  pat dry. Sear on grill at high heat or on a cast iron skillet or griddle over high heat. Alternatively, sear hanger steak on hot  grill and then move to cooler area of grill to finish until medium rare (135).  Let sit for about 10 minutes before slicing against the grain. ( meat may be done ahead up to a day, and refrigerated . Simply slice when ready to serve salad . It is delicious hot or cold! )

Dressing: 2 tablespoons lime juice (  use YUZU juice  if available) , 1 tsp minced ginger, 1 tsp chili garlic sauce ( Sambal Oelek or similar) 1 Tbsp fish sauce ( Blis or Red Boat), 2 Tbsp Avocado oil ( or other neutral healthy oil)

Meanwhile, arrange lettuces,  tomatoes, avocado and half of the fruit on a decorative serving platter. Prepare rice noodles by soaking in water for about 5 minutes and then drain. Mix noodles with enough dressing to coat, the other half of fruit,  1/2 of the cilantro and basil. Put dressed noodles in the center of the platter.

When ready to serve, arrange sliced hanger steak on platter and top with the chopped nuts, the sliced green onion and remaining cilantro. ( peanuts are often used in restaurants but again it really pays to use premium nuts like cashews or pistachios)

Present to your creation and work of art to your guests!   For best flavor, toss the salad together before serving up for your guests. Accompany with chewy artisan bread and your favorite wine or homebrew.

NOTE- you will likely have a few pieces of the hanger steak that don’t carve up so beautifully for your salad presentation – save those for a super steak sandwich the next day for lunch!