Call me deviant, but for me there’s nothing that cures a hangover like the crunch of a salad. My body demands something fresh and green to eradicate the sins of the previous night. And that’s exactly how I first discovered the lemongrass spiced beef salad at Vans, with shaky hands and a pulsating head.
Sure, there are some days when I crave the saltiness of streaky bacon after a big night out, but on this day, I needed something zingy that would replenish my body and conscience. This salad does not disappoint. It’s fragrant, it’s crunchy, it’s spicy, it’s sweet and salty. The beef is incredibly tender and the sheer volume of herbs that you consume makes you feel saintly.
The lemongrass beef salad has been on the menu since Vans opened. It was a labour of love from the former head chef and owner, Kevin McCabe, combining traditional Thai ingredients with a modern Aussie twist.
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SUBSCRIBE NOWWith so many components here that balance the dish, this salad is anything but boring. The peanut praline creates texture and crunch, while candied chillies sweeten the overall flavour. Choosing candied chillies over the bite of its raw counterparts allows the dish to be spicy and sweet at the same time.
The beef is tantalisingly tender. The topside beef is dry-aged to create depth of flavour and then cut into manageable, bite-sized pieces for the dish, meaning all you’ll need is a fork to shovel – or politely decant – the salad into your mouth.
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