Spicy Thai Beef Salad

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.

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.