One last summer dish...

According to the calendar it's still summertime but the chill in the air and the leaves scattered on the ground say it's fall. As much as I love fall (what's not to love about sweaters and pumpkins?) I'm sad to see summer go. Chicago hasn't had quite as brutal a summer as other states and I know many other people are eagerly awaiting the cooler weather. For me, in my mind fall means winter, and I'm not too eager to see what Chicago has in store for us in a few more months.

So, to officially see summer off I'm going to make one last great summer salad. One of those meals that are light but completely satisfying in every way. The perfect dish to fit the bill is a Vietnamese Beef Salad. The complex flavor of the dressing combined with the hearty beef strips make this dish really filling. I learned how to make this dish in Hoi An, a charming but touristy town in central Vietnam (see above picture). They offer cooking classes on every corner for the curious tourists to learn the intricacies of Vietnamese cuisine. The class was made up of an interesting mix of rich older women who actually refused to chop vegetables, honeymooning couples, and then those flying solo, like me. When the instructor passed around a bottle of gold rum and told us to drink, I knew everything would be just fine. I wish so badly that I had written down the name of the rum we drank that night, it was so smooth and delicious, it totally changed what I thought about rum, which wasn't much.

Vietnamese love their beef and they like it rare. I do too on occasion, like in June when visiting my dad. He served me a huge bowl of homemade pho with thin slices of raw beef which cooked after he poured hot broth over the noodles and it cooked the meat to perfection. But if you don't eat beef or would just prefer to use an alternative, then use seitan. Seitan is wheat gluten and it makes a great substitute for beef in this dish because of its texture. It's also high in protein making it even more similar to the real thing.

This recipe also calls for tamarind paste which is very deceiving in that it seems like an easy thing to just pick up in the Asian market, but alas, nothing is ever easy. First I had to actually find where they kept the tamarind paste in the Asian market I frequent since I've never bought it before, 15 minutes later I had success. Then when I got home I had to do some research to make sure I bought the right kind of tamarind paste, since my package simply said 'Wet Seedless Tamarind'. Tamarind paste can come in a jar or a wet mushy block, like I got.

To actually be able to use the tamarind you must first add hot water 1 tablespoon at a time until it begins to soften and dissolve. Then take a small mesh strainer and press out the paste leaving behind all the remnants from the tamarind pod. If you don't feel like doing this, and frankly I don't blame you, then you can substitute Worcestershire sauce since tamarind is a main ingredient or even lemon juice. However, it won't taste quite the same as using fresh tamarind paste which has a very unique brightly soured taste that you'll find in many Asian dishes, such as Pad Thai. The paste can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for a few weeks.

The crispy rice paper that is served with this dish can also be found in Asian markets. It will be next to the other varieties of rice paper wrappers. You simply put the rice paper into the microwave for 2 minutes and voila! It turns into a huge cracker! It's pretty awesome. It's very similar to the shrimp chips you can make at home by deep frying only much quicker and without all the grease to clean up later.

Vietnamese Beef Salad
Serves 4

Marinade
1 lb. beef filet or lean boneless beef or 8 oz. Seitan
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
 salt & pepper to taste

Salad Mix
1 cup lettuce (green leaf or butter leaf)
1 cup green papaya, grated
1 cup tomatoes, seeds removed and cut into thin strips
1/2 cup cucumber, seeds removed and cut into thin strips
1/4 cup white onion, thinly sliced
1 fresh red chilli, seeds removed, thinly sliced

Dressing
1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon fish sauce
3 teaspoons sugar
1 garlic clove, crushed

Toppings
1/2 cup mint (or cilantro)
1/2 cup Asian basil
2 tablespoons crispy shallots (see below for instructions)
2 tablespoons peanuts, crushed
Roasted rice paper

Crispy shallots
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup shallots, thinly sliced
Heat oil until it shimmers (350 degrees). Place shallots in oil and deep fry until golden. Drain well, set aside.

Marinate beef (or seitan) in the fridge for up to 3 hours. If grilling, cook the beef, covered, over hot coals for 8 to 10 minutes on each side. Do not overcook, beef should be rare in the middle. If you don't have a grill, heat a greased cast-iron skillet or griddle over high heat and sear the beef for 8 to 10 minutes on each side. Let beef stand for 10 minutes; the meat will continue to cook and the juices will spread throughout the meat. Trim and discard fat and cut against the grain into 1 1/2 inch strips. If using seitan or other meat alternative, simply marinate and set aside.

Place the salad mix into a large serving bowl and toss with the dressing. Add beef and mix gently. Move ingredients onto a serving plate and sprinkle on the toppings. Serve with crispy rice paper.