Cast Iron

Rice, Radish, and Snap Pea Salad with Seared Beef

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June  8, 2011
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Rice, Radish, and Snap Pea Salad with Seared Beef
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

Back in the seventies I worked for a catering company in Cambridge, Massachusetts called Caras & Rowe, run by the estimable and talented Ms. Rebecca Caras. Besides preparing food for events in and around Boston, we also made food to be sold at several of the area's takeout shops. One of my favorites of these recipes was a rice salad with peas, radishes, scallions, and dill. I've taken that salad in an Asian direction with a light rice vinegar and toasted sesame oil dressing. I've also added some seared and sliced steak and topped it all off with a dollop of wasabi sour cream. If the cuts of beef I recommend don't fit your budget, just use a less expensive cut, like flank steak. The resulting dish is both refreshing and substantial. - Sara Moulton (from "Sara Moulton's Everyday Family Dinners") —Sara Moulton

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • For the Salad and Beef
  • 1 cup raw brown rice or white rice or 3 cups cooked rice
  • Sesame Dressing (recipe follows)
  • 1 to 1 1/2 pounds pounds top loin or sirloin steak, cut 1 1/2 inches thick
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1/4 pound sugar snap peas (unshelled) or 1 cup thawed frozen peas
  • 4 large radishes
  • 4 medium scallions
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons prepared wasabi
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce (low sodium, if you prefer)
  • For the Sesame Dressing
  • 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce (low sodium, if you prefer)
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Directions
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Stir in the rice; reduce the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, for about 45 minutes for brown rice or 17 minutes for white, or until tender. Meanwhile, prepare the Sesame Dressing. When the rice is tender, drain it, rinse it in cold water, thoroughly drain it again, and toss it with the Sesame Dressing in a medium bowl.
  2. Meanwhile, season the steak on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium heat until very hot. Cook the steak, turning once, for about 3 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Remove the steak to a plate and set it aside for 5 minutes; cover and chill it for at least 20 minutes, or until the rice has cooked.
  3. While the steak is chilling, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat; prepare a medium bowl of ice and water. Add the whole pea pods to the boiling water; return the water to a boil, remove and drain the peas, and plunge them into the ice and water. When the peas have cooled, drain them thoroughly and pat them dry. Cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices (about 1 cup). Halve the radishes through the root, lay them flat, and thinly slice them (about 1 cup). Trim and thinly slice the scallions (about 1/2 cup). Add the cut pea pods (or thawed peas, if using), radishes, and scallions to the rice and toss to combine.
  4. Make the wasabi dressing. Whisk together the sour cream, steak juices form the steak plate, wasabi, and soy sauce in a small bowl.
  5. To serve, mound some of the rice salad mixture in the center of each of 4 plates. Thinly slice the meat and arrange some slices on top of each portion of rice salad. Drizzle with the wasabi dressing.
  6. For the Sesame Dressing (makes 1/2 cup): Whisk together 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar and 1 teaspoon sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Whisk in 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons soy sauce (low sodium, if you prefer), and 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil.
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7 Reviews

Danni R.
Danni R. August 27, 2020
Thank you SO much for providing this recipe, its a fav of mine from at least 20 years ago! I molded my rice in a small bowl in center of plate, steak and pea pods fanned around it on salad greens with extra dressing for rice- its an incredible, beautiful, delicious dish worthy of guests (or lazing in jammies watching tv) the dressing is exactly right.!
 
denise&food
denise&food July 5, 2012
I made this last night and it was wonderful. Easy and still good the next day. Great meal for a hot night to make before guests come. It is not just for everyday dinners but perfect for company. Made it with flank steak and everyone loved it.
 
likestocooklovestoeat
likestocooklovestoeat June 13, 2011
We're having this for dinner tonight and it looks great - thank you! It looks like the ingredient list is missing the scallion; can that be adjusted?
 
LJT
LJT June 13, 2011
Thank you for this recipe Sara. I have many food intolerance issues and am always looking for recipes I can make that only require slight variations, this one makes it easy. Great tips too!
 
pat_dohaney
pat_dohaney June 13, 2011
Terrific recipe! I miss you Sara, this was a great treat to watch and listen and learn from you. Can't wait to get your cookbook. Stay Well and thanks so much.
 
gwennw
gwennw June 11, 2011
Looks amazing. Can't wait to make it for my family next week. Interesting fact about the 10 inch knife. I'm going to have to go measure my chef knife and see how long it is.
 
Sagegreen
Sagegreen June 10, 2011
Wonderful to see you here! I learned so much from your shows.