Vietnamese Steak and Smashed Cucumber Salad

We’ve been having a lot of BBQ’s throughout lockdown. Mostly pork chops, burgers and sausages alongside some nice salads, but thanks to Deborah, our in-house Inspire chef, we now have something a little more sophisticated that tastes amazing.

It’s perfect for cooking outside for a barbecue and the pickled cucumber can be done up to a day in advance. I hope you enjoy it! It’s really healthy so you can enjoy it mid-week. If you want to add some sides, this delicious Potato and Greens Salad goes great with it. For more tasty recipes go to the free tools section of our website.

I hope you enjoy it,

Jessica Cooke

Ingredients

  • 2 sirloin steaks
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1⁄2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 3 tbsp white wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar
  • 1 green chilli, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  • Handful of coriander, roughly chopped

Method:

Cut the cucumber into 3 or 4 pieces and place in a plastic sandwich bag. Smash with a rolling pin until you get chunks around 1-2 inches big. Place in a large bowl and add the salt, sesame seeds, sugar and vinegar. Leave aside for at least 30 minutes.

Heat a frying pan on high heat and cook the steaks for 3-4 minutes a side, or to your preference. Leave to rest for 5 minutes and then slice thinly against the grain. Serve the steak with the pickled cucumber and top with the chopped herbs and chilli.

About the author 

Jessica Cooke

I love drinking coffee, and my favourite thing in life (apart from my family) is to empower women to lead fitter, healthier and happier lives. (oh, and also I love playing with my two Miniature Schnauzers, Buster and Ozzy)

I’ve coached more than 6,140 women over 14 years to lead fitter, healthier and happier lives.

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