A slaw for summer

This is a truly bastardized recipe for Asian-style slaw that pulls in influences from across Southeast Asia. It captures the magical balance of flavors for which this complex region is known: sour, sweet, spicy and salty. It?s also a great way to use up leftover grilled meat. We used steak, but pork tenderloin, chicken (shredded), shrimp or fish would all work in its place. While it was only 75 degrees in Madison when we ate it, this would be a perfect dinner to make when it?s hot out. Just crack open a couple bottles of Tsingtao or Singha and enjoy.

Asian-style slaw with grilled steak
Serves 3-4 people

Ingredients

Dressing:
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon fish sauce (nam pla)
Juice from ½ a lime
1, 1-inch knob of fresh ginger, peeled and grated on a microplane grater
2 red chiles ? Fresno (mild), Serrano (medium) or thai bird (hot) chiles, thinly sliced diagonally
1 heaping tablespoon natural peanut butter
3 tablespoons hot water

Slaw:
4 cups very thinly sliced green cabbage
1 carrot, julienned
1 scallion, thinly sliced on a diagonal
3 tablespoons cilantro or mint, chopped finely

6-8 oz. leftover, cold grilled steak ? tri-tip, skirt or flank steak would work well; thinly sliced.

Directions:
Combine slaw ingredients in a large serving bowl; toss to distribute evenly.

In a small saucepan, combined dressing ingredients. Whisk over medium heat until dressing is smooth and hot; don?t let it boil.

Pour dressing over slaw and let sit for at least 15 minutes to allow cabbage to wilt slightly ? don?t let it sit longer than 30 minutes or you will have a soggy mess.

Mound slaw onto plates. Place some of the sliced steak on top. Enjoy!