Grilled Beef Salad with Fresh Lime Dressing
Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc

Serves 4 to 6

The recipe for this refreshing main-dish salad from Typhoon! Restaurant (with multiple locations in Washington and Oregon, including one in the Pike Place Market neighborhood) will come in handy all summer long because it’s so easy to make and flavorful. Best of all for lighter dining (this is bikini season, after all!), Chef Bo Kline’s zesty lime dressing achieves its delightful “zip” without the addition of fat or oil. And although some people may consider it proper to only pair beef with red wine, in this case, thanks to the lime dressing and red and green grapes, I prefer white. An herbaceous white wine with citrus-y notes, such as Sauvignon Blanc, works well. Its natural acidity also helps to cut the fattiness of the steak. This recipe, plus another recipe from Typhoon!, appears in the Pike Place Market Cookbook, Second Edition.

1 pound aged top sirloin

1 pound mesclun salad mix, rinsed, drained, and spun dry

Fresh Lime Dressing (Recipe follows)

1/2 cup green seedless grapes, cut in half lengthwise

1/2 cup red seedless grapes, cut in half lengthwise

Preheat and oil an outdoor or stovetop grill or preheat an indoor broiler and oil the broiler pan.

Place the steak on the grill and cook the meat to desired doneness, turning once (Chef Bo suggests cooking it rare). Cover with aluminum foil and allow to rest five to 10 minutes. Slice thinly on the diagonal and arrange on one side of a decorative platter. Arrange the mesclun mix on the other side.

Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of Fresh Lime Dressing over the beef and greens. Save the remaining dressing for another use. Arrange red and green grape halves over the salad and serve immediately.

Fresh Lime Dressing

Makes about 1/2 cup

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1/4 cup good-quality fish sauce (Chef Bo recommends the Golden Boy brand)

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons minced fresh Thai chile peppers

Mix all the ingredients in a small nonreactive bowl. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for later use.