Serves 4–6

If the mint in this recipe is too pungent for your tastes, you can easily substitute cilantro, but I suggest being adventuresome and giving this a try. The beef in this recipe also makes great fajitas!

Chilied Beef

3 serrano chilies, stems removed and sliced

¼ cup white vinegar

1 pound flank steak

1 large red onion, sliced

4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced

Juice of 1 large lime

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

Bibb or romaine lettuce leaves

  1. Place the sliced chilies in a small bowl with the vinegar; let stand for at least 15 minutes.
  2. Grill or broil the flank steak to your desired doneness. Remove from the grill, cover with foil, and let stand 10 minutes. Thinly slice the streak across the grain.
  3. Place the beef slices in a large bowl. Add the red onion, scallions, lime juice, and red pepper flakes; toss all of the ingredients together. Cover the dish, place in the refrigerator, and let marinate for at least 1 hour.
  4. Before serving, let the beef return to room temperature. Mound the beef on top of lettuce leaves and serve with white rice. Pass the serrano/vinegar sauce separately.

illustration Grill Safety

Be careful around a grill. Do not add lighter fluid to a fire or hot coals. Keep your grill clean of excess grease to guard against fires. Don't forget to turn off the gas after you are finished cooking. Don't throw water on a fire to douse a flame. Instead, move the food away from the fire and let the fire burn itself out.