Green Mango Salad with Grilled Beef

Green Mango Salad with Grilled Beef [Goi Xoai Voi Bo Nuong]
Culinary Vietnam by Daniel Hoyer

1/8 cup finely minced lemongrass about 2 medium stalks
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon chile paste with garlic [optional]
10-12 ounces sirloin, strip, or chuck steak, sliced about 1/4 inch think
2 green mangoes or unripe mangoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), pealed and sliced about 1/8 inch thick, then cut into 1/2-inch-wide julienne
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, inner membranes removed, and cut into 1/4-inch wide julienne
1/4 cup Basic Vietnamese Dipping Sauce mixed with the juice of 1-lime and 1 or 2 well-crushed or finely minced serrano or Thai chiles
About 24 Asian basil leaves
1/8 cup chopped cilantro
2-3 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced, with the rings separated and then sauteed in some vegatable oil until golden brown and crispy
1 scallion, cut into 2-inch sections and julienned


1) Mix the lemongrass, shallot, fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and chili paste, and marinate the beef in this mixture for 30-40 minutes. Grill the beef over medium-high heat, lest rest for a few minutes, and then slice across the grain into 1/4-inch-wide strips.

2) Toss the mango and bell pepper with the dipping sauce mixture, then add the basil, cilantro, and the beef. Place on a serving dish and garnish with the fried shallots and scallion.