Michael Cahill Crunchy Beef Salad with Tangy Dressing
- Prep time 2Hr
- Cook time 30Min
- Technique Roast
- Meat Beef
- Cut Tenderloin
- Serves 120
This crunchy Aussie beef salad features roasted Australian beef tenderloin served with a vibrant Thai-inspired salad of shredded cabbage, fresh herbs and bean sprouts. The dish is finished with a zingy chilli and lime dressing, crunchy peanuts and crisp vermicelli for texture. Served as a canapé or cocktail dish in individual 250 mm bamboo bowls, it delivers bold flavour, freshness and crunch in every bite, with optional blood lime dust for a sharp citrus finish.
Ingredients
Beef Tenderloin
- 12 kg beef tenderloin fillet
- 30 g medium ground black pepper
- 20 g sea salt flakes
- 200 g butter (for clarifying)
- Thai-Inspired Crunchy Salad
- 1 kg purple cabbage
- 1 kg green cabbage
- 250 g Spanish onion
- 2 bunches fresh coriander
- 2 bunches fresh mint
- 200 g bean sprouts
- 50 g vermicelli
- 100 g roasted peanuts
Dressing
- 100 g palm sugar
- 50 g fresh red chilli
- 20–30 ml fish sauce, to taste
- 60 ml fresh lime juice
- 60 ml rice vinegar
- 100 g fresh ginger, grated
- 10 g finely cracked black pepper
Method
Beef Tenderloin
- Season the beef tenderloin evenly with sea salt flakes and ground black pepper.
- Clarify the butter and use to lightly coat the beef.
- Roast until cooked to medium, then remove from the oven and allow to rest fully.
- Slice thinly just before assembling the salad.
- Crunchy Salad Preparation
- Thinly slice both cabbages using a mandolin.
- Thinly slice the Spanish onion on a mandolin.
- Pick the coriander and mint leaves.
- Combine the cabbage, onion, herbs and bean sprouts, then store chilled until required.
Dressing
- Blend all dressing ingredients except the palm sugar in a food processor. Keep chilli seeds for extra heat if desired.
- In a small pan, combine the palm sugar with 100 ml water and gently heat until dissolved.
- Mix the palm sugar syrup with the blended dressing and chill.
- Combine with the salad only at the last minute to maintain crunch.
Sprinkles
- Roast the peanuts until golden.
- Fry the vermicelli in clean vegetable oil at 190°C until crisp.
- Drain well and reserve for garnish.
Assembly
- Toss the salad lightly with the dressing.
- Add sliced beef tenderloin and finish with peanuts and crispy vermicelli.
- Serve immediately in bamboo bowls, optionally finished with blood lime dust.
