A beef salad you can make in 20 minutes needs a really peppy ingredient to bring it to a taste level that justifies the adjective “spicy.” In this beef-and-broccoli recipe, the instant fiery agent is kimchi, a Korean condiment that’s also commonly eaten in Japan.
The recipe is among the widely varied, well illustrated collection in the 2004 “Food &Wine: An Entire Year of Recipes” annual cookbook ($29.95).
The editors explain that kimchi is made from a variety of vegetables, but brined napa cabbage with hot red peppers and garlic are the most familiar ingredients.
Kimchi is sold at many supermarkets and Asian food shops.
Spicy beef and broccoli salad with kimchi
1tablespoon sesame seeds
3cups water
3/4pound broccoli, cut into 1-inch florets, stalks peeled and cut into 1/2 -inch-thick slices
1pound trimmed beef rib eye, cut into 1/4 -inch-thick slices
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1tablespoon soy sauce (see note)
1tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
1teaspoon Asian sesame oil
3/4cup thinly sliced kimchi
In a small skillet, toast the sesame seeds over moderate heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer the sesame seeds to a plate to cool.
In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the broccoli florets and stems and cook until they are bright green, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the broccoli pieces to a colander and refresh under cold running water. Gently pat the broccoli dry with paper towels.
Add the sliced rib eye to the boiling water and cook until medium rare, about 40 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a plate. Spread the beef slices in an even layer and season them generously with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of the cooking water with the soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil.
Add the broccoli, sliced beef, kimchi and sesame seeds to the bowl and toss the salad well to coat all the ingredients with the dressing. Transfer the beef and broccoli salad to serving dishes and serve at once.
Makes 4 servings.
Note: For this recipe, opt for Japanese soy sauce (shoyu), which is sweeter and less salty than Chinese soy sauce. It is available at most supermarkets, specialty markets and at Asian markets.
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