Steak Salad Oriental

Cooking Instructions

Score the steak lightly in criss-crossing lines; rub in the pepper and one tbsp salad oil. Let the steak come to room temperature.

Find a heavy skillet the steak will just fit into; I use a steel fish-saute pan. Sprinkle it with salt and about a teaspoon of salad oil and when it is quite hot sear the steak first on one side and then the other. You do not want a hard crust on this steak, so turn it fairly often, allowing for about eight minutes to the side. When an "instant-read" cook's thermometer reads 120 degrees F., the steak will be rare, as it should be, but will cook a bit longer on residual heat. Remove it to a platter.

Cool the pan a little, then return the steak to it. Put the cognac or brandy in a ladle, warm it over an open flame, and when it ignites, pour it over the steak. Turn the steak around in the juices and let it cool. Wrap it with the juices in a double thickness of foil and refrigerate it overnight.

The next day, slice the steak paper-thin with a very sharp thin knife, across the grain. (The steak is easier to manage if it is first sliced in half lengthwise so that you wind up with thin rectangles of beef.) Rewrap the steak with any juices and return it to the refrigerator until dinner time.

Wash and dry the mushrooms and slice them thinly. Either store them in a plastic or, if ready to serve, sprinkle them over the meat. Trim and discard all but two to three inches of the green portion of the scallions. Mince scallions and parsley and strew over the mushrooms. Add the rinsed and well-drained bean sprouts. Prepare Oriental Dressing and pour it over the salad and toss it well. Serve with crisp French or Italian whole wheat bread.