Vietnamese Noodle Salad with Sous Vide Beef

This is a fresh and zingy salad that is absolutely perfect for a healthy, yet flavorful meal. There are many textures in this dish - so many, that your guests will leave satisfied every single time. 

Author

Christina Wylie

Christina Wylie is an award-winning writer, author, editor, food stylist, recipe creator, entrepreneur and radio host whose work has been featured in The Times & The Sunday Times, Time Out (Melbourne, Sydney, Hong Kong and Dubai), Traveler’s Digest, Fah Thai Magazine, Broadsheet, Wining & Dining and many other internationally renowned publications. In 2013, after almost a decade of working as an international journalist, Christina founded the online lifestyle magazine The GAB Magazine, for which she now leads a team of 60 writers based all across Australia. She then founded Samui Life Magazine in 2016. After working as a recipe creator for Anova Culinary for over a year, she signed a cookbook contract with the American-based, international publishing company Quarto. Her cookbook, titled The Sous Vide Kitchen: Techniques, Ideas, and More Than 100 Recipes to Cook at Home, was published worldwide in 2017. She wrote, styled, and photographed everything that you see within that book. In 2017 she opened her first restaurant, Bootlegger, in Koh Samui, Thailand. She is currently in the initial stages of launching Bootlegger 2 in Phuket in 2018, and is looking to open Bootlegger 3 in Bangkok in 2019. She is currently working towards stepping into the world of food and travel presenting. As an entrepreneur herself, Christina co-founded the charity initiative Project Gen Z in 2015 to teach orphaned Cambodian children entrepreneurial skills. A British expat born and raised in Hong Kong, Christina has worked across the globe, and has lived in Thailand, London, Hong Kong, Australia and South Africa over the years.

Prep Time: 00:20

Recipe Time: 02:00

Temperature Options:

Medium rare - 1 1/2” - 2”

129.2F / 54C

Ingredients

• 1 (8-ounce/250 g) beef tenderloin steak
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) palm sugar or dark brown sugar
• 1 small red Thai chile
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) rice vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) vegetable oil
• 1 cup (237 mL) flat rice noodles, boiled and drained
• 1 cup (237 mL) bean sprouts
• 1/2 cup (118 mL) thinly sliced cucumber, cut into half-moons
• 1/2 cup (118 mL) julienned carrots
• 1/4 cup (59 mL) Thai basil leaves, torn
• 1/4 cup (59 mL) mint leaves, torn
• 3 tablespoons (45 mL) unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped
• 1 stalk lemongrass, white part only, bruised and very thinly sliced

Directions

1. Set the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 129.2ºF (54ºC).
2. Place the steak in a large zipper lock or vacuum seal bag. Seal the bag using the water immersion technique or a vacuum sealer on the dry setting. Place in the water bath and set the timer for 2 hours.
3. Meanwhile, pound the palm sugar, chile, and garlic in a mortar and pestle until finely ground. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice, and rice vinegar. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Finishing Steps

1. When the timer goes off, remove the bag from the water bath. Remove the steak from the bag and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper. Discard cooking liquid.
2. Heat vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is just beginning to smoke, add the steak and sear until well-browned, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a cutting board and slice very thin.
3. Divide prepared noodles, bean sprouts, cucumber, carrots, basil, mint, peanuts, lemongrass, and sliced beef between 2 serving bowls. Serve, passing the dressing on the side.