Mexican Green Papaya Salad (Som Tam) with Flank Steak

Ingredients

Salad

• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp palm sugar
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 garlic cloves (pressed)
• 4-5 cherry tomato-sized, 3-4 medium-sized tomatillos
• 4 baby carrots (70g), cut into thin slices
• 1/2 green papaya, seeded, skinned, shredded
• 1 tsp dried shrimp, chopped
• 2 spicy thai chiles, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp roasted cashews (or toast yourself), chopped
• handfull cilantro, chopped
• 1 spring onion

Steak & Marinade

• 1 bavette steak, trimmed, cut in half (see notes)
• 4 tbsp lime juice
• 1/4 cup soy
• 3 tbsp palm sugar
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1/2 tsp crushed black pepper
• 2 pieces pressed garlic
• salt/pepper to taste

Directions

Marinade steak

1. whisk together steak marinaded ingredients, put in bag with steak, set aside for an hour.

Make the salad

1. preheat oven on high /broil setting (for steak in a few)
2. Put everything except carrots, tomatillos, papaya, cilantro, and half the nuts into a bowl
3. Add two small, halved tomatillos
4. Crush/pres/mix it all together with a pestle
5. add papaya, carrots, tomatillos half the cilantro, and toss
6. set aside, cover, but mix occasionally.

Make the steak

1. put on rack with drip pan
2. preheat skillet (for sear afterward)
3. broil thick end 5 minutes per side
4. broil thin half 4 minutes per side
5. remove from heat, salt each side
6. add 1-2 tbsp high-heat oil to pan
7. sear for 1 minute per side ( make crispy )