Spicy Thai Beef Salad

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Ingredients

1. 1 pound beef sirloin steak, cut about 3/4 inch thick
2. 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3. 1/2 cup beef or chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
4. 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
5. 2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
6. 1 teaspoon sugar
7. 1/3 cup thinly sliced shallots, separated into rings
8. 4 scallions, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
9. 2 bird or serrano chiles, minced
10. 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves

Accompaniments

1. 1 small green cabbage—cored, cut into wedges and separated into leaves
2. 8 to 10 Bibb lettuce leaves
3. 5 to 6 Chinese long beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
4. 3 scallions, white and tender green, halved lengthwise
5. 1 seedless European cucumber, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick

1. Light a charcoal grill or preheat the broiler. Rub the steak with the pepper and sear about 3 inches from the heat for about 1 1/2 minutes on each side; the meat should be very rare. Slice the meat very thinly against the grain.
2. In a medium nonreactive saucepan, combine the stock, lime juice, fish sauce and sugar and bring to a boil. Add the meat to the saucepan and stir quickly to coat with sauce. Immediately pour the meat and dressing into a bowl. Add the shallots, scallions, chiles and mint and gently toss. Mound the salad on a plate. Serve with a platter of accompaniments and plenty of rice.