Soy Ginger Beef And Noodle Salad With Peanut Dressing

Directions

1. For dressing: Combine 1 1/4 c. boiling water and tea bags and steep 5 min. Place peanut butter in medium bowl. Add in 3/4 c. tea, soy sauce, lime juice, and cayenne. Whisk dressing to blend well. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before continuing.) Fold in watercress and mint.
2. For beef: Combine soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, honey, crushed red pepper, and cumin in large bowl; whisk to blend. Add in beef and toss to coat. Marinate at room temperature at least 1 hour and up to 2 hrs, stirring occasionally.
3. For salad: Cook linguine in large pot of boiling salted water till tender but still hard to bite. Drain. Rinse with cool water; drain again. Transfer linguine to large bowl. Fold in sesame oil. Using vegetable peeler, cut cucumber halves lengthwise into long thin ribbons; arrange on paper towels to drain.
4. Drain marinade from beef into medium saucepan; boil 2 min over high heat. Cold. Heat grill pan or possibly large ridged cast-iron skillet over high heat 4 min. Working in batches, grill beef till just brown outside but rare inside, about 1 minute per side. Transfer beef to bowl.
5. Add in cucumbers, green onions, and cooled marinade to linguine. Add in dressing and toss to coat. Season salad with salt and pepper. Arrange mint and watercress around edge of large platter. Mound noodle salad in center; top with beef. Garnish with peanuts and lime wedges.
6. This recipe yields 6 servings.
7. Comments: Freezing the steak for about 30 min makes it much easier to slice; using a grill pan is the simplest way to cook the slices.
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