Be Still My Taste Buds: Houston's Evil Jungle Thai Steak Salad

My favorite salad in the world is Houston's Evil Jungle Thai Steak Salad. They've changed the name to something like Thai Steak Salad, but I refuse to call it that. It will always be the Evil Jungle Salad to me.

This salad is seriously spectacular, at least for my bipolar taste. I love flavor and texture contrast in meals, and this salad really hits it on the head. While normally it comes with chunks of medium rare filet mignon, sometimes I mix it up and order it with a warm, juicy chicken breast; clearly cut from a hot-out-of-the-rotisserie chicken. The colors are bright and beautiful; the flavors robust and fragrant, even before you take your first bite. Perhaps the part of the salad that I love most is that it plays with your senses; it's sweet, salty, spicy, hot, cold, crunchy and smooth, all at the same time.

I've recreated this salad at home several times, but never with such success that it truly rivals Houston's. Then again I'm kind of high maintenance about these things. The key ingredients are the easy part – chicken or steak, mango, tomato, avocado, cabbage, chinese egg noodles, mint, Thai basil, cilantro and roasted peanuts – but it's the dressing that still vexes me. I've found various "claims" of the recipe online, but to date the only one I've found that comes closest to mimicking the infamous Evil Jungle Thai Steak Salad stems from Epicurious. Here it is:

Dressing Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Sriracha or similar chile paste
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons canola or grapeseed oil

Salad Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound filet mignon, cut into chunks (or 2 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into chunks)
• 1 ounce Chinese egg noodles, cooked al dente
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 small julienned carrot
• 1/3 cup seeded, diced cucumber
• 1/3 cup diced mango
• 1/3 cup seeded, diced tomato
• 2 thinly-sliced scallions
• 2 tablespoons toasted, crushed peanuts
• 1/2 cup combination of chopped cilantro, mint, and Thai basil

To prepare the dressing, whisk all ingredients together and set aside. To make the salad, season the filet with salt and pepper and sear in a hot skillet for 2-3 minutes per side, or until medium rare. Let the meat rest for a few minutes, then slice on the bias and toss with 2-3 tablespoons of the dressing. Mix the remaining salad ingredients (except the peanuts) in a large bowl and drizzle with dressing until well coated. Divide the salad between two plates, mound the beef on top and sprinkle with the chopped peanuts.

That's about as close as it comes. If there are any other Houston's Evil Jungle Thai Steak Salad lovers out there, let me know if you've tried it and if you've got a recipe that comes close! Otherwise, enjoy!