Steak Salad with Cucumber, Peppers, and Spicy Fish Sauce Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 1 pound flank, skirt, or boneless ribeye steak
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons juice from about 3 limes
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce, plus more to taste
• 2 teaspoons dried Thai chilies
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 medium clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 large cucumber, peeled, split in half lengthwise, de-seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch pieces on the bias
• 1 large red pepper, seeds and stem removed, cut into 1/4-inch strips
• 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup toasted peanuts
• Handful fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems

Directions

1. Sprinkle the beef all over with salt and pepper. Warm the oil in a medium skillet set over high heat until it begins to smoke. Put the meat in the pan and cook, flipping it often, until both sides are deeply browned and an instant-read thermometer in the middle reads 125 degrees F, about 6 minutes total. Turn the heat down as it cooks if the pan gets too fierce. Move the steak to a cutting board and rest it for 5 minutes, then cut it into thin strips against the grain and put it aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the lime juice, fish sauce, dried chili, sugar, and garlic until the sugar has dissolved. Taste the dressing, and add a little more fish sauce if you want it saltier or funkier.
3. Add the cucumber, red pepper, shallots, peanuts, cilantro, and sliced steak to the bowl. Toss everything together until evenly coated, then serve right away, or transfer it to a sealed container, refrigerate overnight, and serve the next day.