While I was growing up, my father worked as a food technologist at a gelatine company. The 70s were a hey-dey time for jelly-think aspic topped fish pates turned out of copper fish molds and wobbly, glossy sweet jellies filled with cherries, set aflame with aplomb at the table.
It’s kind of a shame that I hated jelly.
Which is probably why I didn’t mind that we rarely had dessert. Because jelly was the only option offered, I would always groan out loud, dragging my feet along the kitchen floor.
To get around the omnipresent jelly, I’d something mix up dessert. I would take out ice cream, jelly and every sort of sauce I could find. One time when my parents had people over I mixed up one of these concoctions and topped it with golden syrup, chocolate syrup and strawberry syrup. I stood there watching my parents and their friends take a spoonful, hoping that they would tell me that it was wonderful and that I had invented something that I could call “Lorraine” something else other than quiche. They smiled and pushed it away.
I tried some of my parent’s bowl of dessert. It was, as expected, dreadful. But allow me to show you a recipe that seems like you’re mixing up a whole lot of things together, but actually turns out well (and yay, there’s no jelly involved). It’s a classic Thai beef salad, made with tender medium rare beef, sliced thinly and added to a herb laden salad along with sweet tomatoes. I add some deep fried shallots to give it extra crunch at the end. It’s a low carb but delicious salad that is one of Mr NQN’s favourites – he requests this often. You can serve these as lettuce cups-crisp baby cos is also an idea for individual cocktail party serves.
So tell me Dear Reader, was there always dessert at your place growing up? Is there now?
Thai Beef Salad
An Original Recipe by Not Quite Nigella
- 400g striploin of beef, trimmed of fat
- oil for frying
- 1/2 iceberg lettuce or baby cos lettuces
- 200g cherry tomatoes
- 1 red onion
- 2x 10cm stalk of lemongrass, white part only, outer layers removed
- 1/4 cup roasted, salted peanuts
- 1 bunch mint
- 1/2 bunch coriander
- 1/2 cup deep fried shallots
Dressing
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons white sugar or palm sugar
- 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
Buyer’s tip: Deep fried shallots can be found in plastic packets at Asian grocery stores. Striploin is also called porterhouse steak, boneless sirloin, strip steak, shell steak, Delmonico, boneless loin. Confusing, yes! You can also use Thai basil but I couldn’t get any and it was delicious without it so I didn’t add it to the recipe.
1. As the beef I used was cryovaced, I took it out of the plastic 24 hours in advance, patted the excess blood and let it air dry in the fridge.
2. Heat a cast iron skillet on high. Cook the steak for 3 minutes on one side and 2 minutes on the other for medium rare beef. Place on a plate and cover with foil and allow to rest for at least ten minutes.
3. Make the salad dressing by adding all of the ingredients to a bowl and stirring until sugar has dissolved.
4. Make the salad. Wash all of the vegetables and herbs and slice the half iceberg in half and into wedges and place on a serving plate. You can also slice up a bit of the lettuce to use in the salad too. Use the outer ones for cups-baby cos is easier but they were out of it when I went shopping.
5. Slice the tomatoes into quarters and place in a large bowl. Peel and slice the onion thinly and add this to the bowl along with the lemongrass, also finely sliced into thin little rings. Add mint leaves, coriander leaves and peanuts.
6. Slice the beef thinly on an angle and add to the salad. Add dressing and toss to combine. Place the salad inside the lettuce cups and serve. Top with deep fried shallots for crispiness and flavour. Serve straight away.
If you enjoyed this post, why not share it with your friends?
What is NQN up to now?
NQN on Facebook
RSS
51 Comments | Add your own
Gorgeous salad! I make one that we go crazy for – even my finicky son loves it. I must try yours next, the dressing sounds divine! (I loved jello when I was a kid but have always hated aspic. Go figure).
This is almost exactly what I’d make for my dad and me when mum was out, back before I moved out!
Fresh and scrumptious! Those are awesome.
Cheers,
Rosa
Love these, Lorraine! The flavors are so fresh and clean!
There weren’t a lot of desserts around while I was growing up, I think because my mom didn’t want to wind up eating them herself. Oddly enough there was often jello. Which I am totally MEH on. I am not, however, meh on these salad cups. They look awesome.
Sounds delicious! You don’t still hate jelly, do you?
When I was growing up in the sixties my mothers standard dessert was tin peaches & ice cream and the next night it was ice cream & peaches – it became a standing joke in our family and we still laugh about it today.
Dessert was rare growing up and we rarely have it now. It’s never been a habit.
This kind of fresh dish is just what I’m craving right now. Yummy!
Yum – fresh and perfect for the weather we’ve got coming back at us here this weekend!
Oooooh, I do love anything in a lettuce cup and this looks gorgeous. As for dessert, I have a little fruit and yogurt – nice to finish with something a little sweet. Have a lovely weekend xo
Sounds delicious! I will skip the jelly though. Have a great weekend.
This does look elegant Lorraine! Lemon grass would be such a nice flavour in there-yummo!
Dessert when we were kids was tinned fruit, and maybe, just maybe, vanilla ice cream.
Some very strange kids would bring jelly crystal sandwiches to school in primary, until the teachers finally put a stop to it. I think they were sick of the sugar and food coloring naughtiness.
Have you ever tried jelly cake? It’s like lamington but with jelly instead of chocolate. It might help you move past your jelly phobia?
We always had something for dessert at home, as my mother liked to bake or cook sweet things. And when she didn’t have time, she just put some “manjarblanco” (dulce de leche) in a teaspoon, and that was our dessert of the day.
Oh yum I love Thai beef salad, I think I will try it this weekend.
As for desserts we didnt get them all the time but as you said the 1970′s were mad on jelly one that appeared often and I disliked was lime jelly with tinned pineapple set in it with marshmallows on top, they had beenut on when the jelly was warm so they had partially melted.
Lorraine, those boats look pretty. Minus peanuts, it’s an elegant and great meal for everyday table or party time. Oh, sweets and me don’t go well together. I just don’t like it, and according to my mother never did. Strange, hah? I don’t like jello either, but I do love aspic (without the mold, just in plate).
Great colour, and healthy!
I don’t recall seeing a dessert here that contains gelatin. But I definitely see it each time I am in Australia. It seems to be one of Britains contributions to the culinary world.
Ah the dressing itself sounds excellent and my mouth start to water by thinking of this dish. It’s light, carb-less meal that I need to include for my dieting. Love this recipe!
Oh I love Thai Beef Salad, and such beautiful presentation too. We didn’t often have dessert growing up. Usually only when we had guest for dinner. I do remember the era of the jelly and junket though…
This looks truly delicious.
Lovely variation on the theme! As I make this quite often, have put your recipe on top of the pile for next time around
! Dessert: Oh in my childhood home Mom sometimes had this made: usually fruit/farina based and whipped to a fluff, but dessert has never been a feature in all my grownup homes: first course, yes, almost always – perhaps some fruit and cheese to follow the main course if friends around!! Haven’t had a cake or biscuit in my homes for decades: the occasional croissant being the exception to the rule 
!
Healthy appetizer, GREAT for entertaining too!
Your photos make me want one NOW, TRUE!
When I was little, dessert was a treat for me,
Jelly, Puddings, Betty Crocker cakes and cupcakes hold VERY fond childhood memories…not ONLY for the people who made them, but for their special recipe!
There was always dessert in our house because my father worked for an ice cream company and every Tuesday was ‘staff sales’ so he would come home with the car boot loaded. I love these Thai beef salad cups and my fussy teenagers would eat them relieved there’s no carbs xx
Thai salads are awesome! Glad to see this mixing and matching worked out
Man, that looks gorgeous -and so well suited for the summer as well!
We never had dessert when I was growing up so I make up for it by eating double puddings at Jason’s parents’ house
Your Thai beef salad looks delicious. As I have traveled through Europe, I find that jellies are gaining popularity from apps to desserts…perhaps you will find one you will like.
Wow, a food technologist! I always thought that would be cool – coming up with new foods, etc. Does he have a science background?
I often make this type of salad and the great thing is that you can replace the beef with prawns or marinated tofu and it’s just as delicious.
And about dessert – we always had Neapolitan ice cream (chocolate flavour was always finished first, strawberry last).
LOL so funny that you added all the sauce you could find and that there was an unlimited supply of jelly when you were growing up hehe ~
When I was growing up, my parents never really gave us dessert but there was always ice-cream,chocolates and if i really wanted my parents would buy me cakes
Obviously now as an adult hahaha i go crazy with desserts you know me 
Ohhh Thai beef salad is one of my fave and i love how they’re in salad cup! Can’t wait to try
I’ll have to make this at home! Delicious.
What a beautiful salad…and I loved hearing your childhood recollections. Oh jelly! Thank you for sharing sweet friend. I’m nursing a bit of a cold, and this post warmed me right up. I hope you are having a happy end to your week!
Oh yum! These look so vibrant, they are almost begging to be eaten.
I didn’t grow up with dessert and I’m kind of glad because it means I don’t have a sweet tooth.
Love food in lettuce cups! It makes me feel so healthy. We didn’t really have dessert growing up either. In fact I can’t think of anything. It was really only for special occasions.
Beautiful salad–it looks so fresh and cooling. Nice story of your childhood as well.
I did grow up with desserts and still like a little taste of something sweet after a meal. It doesn’t have to be much, but a wee bit is nice, though I don’t have it daily.
Coincidentally I also made Thai beef salad last week… it was really delicious. I should make individual portions like yours next time, very cute!
What a genius way to serve up Thai beef salad! I love the idea
Yes, there was and is always dessert at my house; but I stick to my creations when I want something sweet- your typical desserts can sometimes be too much for my system nowadays- unless the occasion calls for it of course
I make something similar as a salad on a plate with blanched/raw seasonal vegetables and it always get devoured. I like your take on it Lorraine, like a San Choy Bow version!
Mum was a terrific cook but we didn’t have the Aussie tradition of dessert after meals but any ceremony eg: Wedding, Christening,Birthdays etc the numerous delectable Italian sweets were omnipresent and they were the Bomb!!
Nowadays, we only have dessert after dinner if the grand daughters are eating dinner with us , out comes the ice-cream, chocolate sauce, sprinkles, must have sprinkles Lol!
Given how peckish I’ve been of late, this salad would be perfect for dinner. (Lots of sliced beef leftover in the fridge.)
My family never got into the habit of having dessert at the end of every meal, but it’s becoming a habit now, ever since I discovered I had a knack for baking. :p
Love the beef salad,will help shift those post xmas kilos!
Mum always had something for sweets,rice pudding,jelly and cream!sponge kisses,tinned fruit and her homemade ice cream that was made with condensed milk,so yummy,ah memories of childhood.
Ooh, I think everyone loves lettuce cups. We were lucky, growing up we nearly always had some kind of dessert because Dad worked hard and needed his sweets. These days, the kids and I rarely have it, unless it is fruit or a special occasion.
That looks scrumptious.
And I confess I have a weakness for Ben and Jerry’s Clusterfluff (mmm peanut butter icecream…)
Great salad, serving it in the lettuce cups makes it ideal for a dinner party. I love rare beef with all those sweet, salt fire flavours. We didn’t really have dessert when I was a child except rhubarb. I remember being sent to france for 3 weeks to stay with friends of the family. The last night was the hostess’ speciality, fish in aspic! A glossy enormous fish appeared on the table surrounded with tiny cubes of vegetables, all gleaming in fishy aspic. My idea of horror – I managed two gelatinous mouthfuls and a lot of pushing around my plate. Not sure they were convinced. GG
Ahh those hideous jellies! Don’t get me wrong, I rather enjoyed the normal flavours like cherry, raspberry and even strawberry but then there was tomato, lime, lemon and pineapple! And that wasn’t the worst of it, there were carrots and raisins and sometimes marshmallows mixed in! BARF! Who does that? Now that was one memory I would have glady kept buried!!!
Your Thai beef salad sounds and looks delectibe, perfect as an Hors d’œuvres or a light dinner on a hot summer eve.
I haven’t been able to comment as regularly as I like, but I’ve been rather ill with a persistent respiratory infection. Hoping to be back real soon. XOXO
i come by my dessert-loving honestly–we always had something as a dessert option when i was a kid. plus, my grandpa didn’t get up from the table until he had some form of dessert.
What a fantastic & fresh looking recipe! Great flavours & textures here, my friend!
have a fun weekend!
x
Those salads look amazing! Simple and delicious! I was never a big jelly fan either!7
Your salad is a vast improvement Lorraine. We eat dessert every night!
Looks so fresh and delicious! And no dessert growing up, but I’m more than making up for that now… ;-p
Never dessert as a kid unless it was a special occasion. Now, it seems I only want dessert if I am watching my kitchen rules or master chef. Wonder if there is a correlation? Heh.
These look scrumptious, we will be heading to Thailand shortly for our wedding so Im sure to overdose on them there! We rarely had dessert growing up it was such as treat, but when we did it would be something mum had baked or cooked with rice pudding, egg custard or baked apples. Mmmm
Post a Comment