Pittsburgh is famous for its french fry- and shredded cheese-topped steak salads, which are thought to have originated sometime in the early 1960s at Jerry’s Curb Service in Bridgewater, Beaver County.

If you’re super hungry, the dish can really hit the spot. Along with good-for-you salad greens, it’s got carbs and fat galore, thanks to the fried potatoes, a generous sprinkling of cheddar cheese and ranch dressing that typically gets drizzled on top.

But what if you’re in the mood for something equally meaty, but also markedly lighter?

This Southeast Asian take on Western Pennsylvania’s regional dish is a great place to start. Known as yam neua in Thailand, it boasts a tangle of thinly grilled steak tossed with cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs in a signature Thai dressing that mixes salty and sour flavors with sweet and spicy.

While any tender cut of beef works, this recipe from Milk Street opts for skirt steak — a long, thin, ribbon-like cut with a “big beefy flavor” that comes from the belly, just below the ribs. It’s seasoned with a mix of brown sugar, salt and white pepper, which is less spicy than black pepper, but also earthier.

Note: While rubbing the steak with sugar helps develop its flavorful crust, a very hot skillet is also essential. It should be smoking when you add the meat.

Also, be sure to cut the meat against the grain after cooking; it produces more tender and juicy meat.

Thai Beef Salad

INGREDIENTS

1 large shallot, sliced very thin
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
4 teaspoons packed brown sugar, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 1/2 pounds skirt steak, trimmed and cut into 2 or 3 pieces
Canola oil, for pan
1 or 2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups red or yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, plus sprigs for garnish
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, combine shallots and lime juice and let sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In a small bowl, combine 2 teaspoons of sugar with the salt and white pepper. Pat the steak dry with paper towels, then rub all over with the sugar-salt mixture. Cut into 4 to 6 pieces if needed to fit into the pan.
Heat 1 teaspoon canola oil over medium-high heat until smoking, about 5 minutes.
Sear the steak in two batches until charred, 2-4 minutes per side. Transfer the steak to a carving board and let rest for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, pepper flakes and the remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar to the shallot-lime juice mixture and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Taste, then add additional fish sauce, if desired.
Thinly slice the steak against the grain and transfer to bowl along with any accumulated juices. Add tomatoes, cilantro and mint and stir.
Transfer to a platter and garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.

Serves 4.

— “Milk Street: The New Home Cooking” by Christopher Kimball

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