PHO SANDWICH
Serves four
- 1 EMH beef flank steak
- 2 medium onions
- 1 head of garlic
- a thumb-sized piece of ginger
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 black cardamom pod
- 3 star anise
- 7 cloves
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
sauce:
- 1 tbsp Sriracha sauce
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
pickled vegetables:
- radishes
- carrots
- white wine vinegar
- a little salt and sugar
for serving:
- baguette
- cucumber
- mung bean sprouts
- chilli
- Thai basil
- lime juice
Place the flank steak in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and skim off the foam. Add all the spices, cover with a lid and let simmer gently for 2-3 hours. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Meanwhile, thinly slice the radishes and carrots, season with salt and sugar, and add enough vinegar to thoroughly moisten the vegetables. Squeeze through and leave to pickle. For the sauce, mix together the Sriracha, hoisin sauce and mayonnaise. Slice the meat thinly and toss with the sauce, squeeze the vegetables a bit drier. Split the baguette, layer in the meat, pickled vegetables, chilli, basil leaves and mung bean sprouts. Squeeze lime juice over the top, place the other half of the baguette on top and press together firmly. Cut into equal portions and serve.
FLANK STEAK WITH SPRUCE TIP MARINADE
- Serves six
- 1 EMH beef flank steak
- a large handful of spruce tips
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp cold-pressed olive oil
- 1 heaped tsp honey
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
salad:
- 1 kg potatoes
- 5-6 large radishes
- a handful of chives
- 5 tbsp cold-pressed olive oil
- 4 tbsp white wine vinegar
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Chop the spruce tips and mix with the vinegar, honey and oil, season with salt and pepper (if you don't have fresh spruce tips, you can use spruce tip powder instead). Stir until the honey has dissolved. Pour half the marinade into a dish, place the meat on top and pour the rest over it. Make sure the meat is evenly coated, cover the dish with cling film and refrigerate for 24 hours to marinate.
Wash the potatoes thoroughly and boil in salted water until tender. Drain and cool slightly, then slice. Chop the chives. In a bowl, mix the olive oil, chives and vinegar, season with salt and pepper. Add the potatoes and toss well. Thinly slice the radishes and add to the salad just before serving.
Remove the meat from the fridge at least 30 minutes before grilling and wipe off most of the marinade. Grill for 5 minutes per side, then cover with a lid and keep on the grill for another 5 minutes. Wrap in foil and let rest for 20-25 minutes. Slice the meat thinly and serve with the salad.
