This is all about the stock and cooking your beef properly. Use whatever fresh veg you want – broccoli, asparagus, carrots, bok choy… all good.
Here’s what you’ll need
- 1 steak per person – I used rump here
- Soba noodles
- Chicken stock – 1 pint
- Soy sauce
- Sweet chilli sauce
- Nam pla
- 1 Lime
- Whatever veg you have – I used, baby sweetcorn, mange tout, red onion, bean sprout
- Herbs of your choice from mint, basil, coriander or sweet Thai basil if you can get it (the combination of mint and basil is a good alternative).
Fry the steak until medium-rare. Put the steak onto a warm plate and let it rest for as long as you have cooked it.
While the steak is resting heat your chicken stock.
Add a decent glug of soy sauce, a tablespoon of sweet chilli sauce, a dash of the nam pla – taste it and refine the flavour with a touch more of whatever you think it needs.
Add the noodles. These need to cook for about 4 minutes.
2 minutes later add your veg.
Take your steak from the warmed plate and slice into decent sized pieces. Your plate will have the juices from the steak left in it – pour these juices into the stock.
Squeeze some lime into the stock and add a handful of chopped herbs.
Place the steak in a serving bowl and spoon over the hot stock. The stock will cook the steak a little more. I finish off with a scattering of sliced spring onions.
This is a quick meal – ideal for the middle of the week. It feels healthy with all those vegetables and the stock is beautiful. Once you’ve cooked it a few times you’ll know how to fine-tune the stock to your liking.