Vietnamese beef salad with watercress

 Serves 2-3

 1/4 cup boiling water
 1/4 cup sugar
 1/2 cup lime juice (from 3 or 4 limes)
 1/3 cup Asian fish sauce
 1 or 2 red chile peppers, fresh or pickled, seeded and chopped
 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
 1 large clove garlic, minced
 1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
 1 tablespoon soy sauce
 3/4 pound rib-eye or top round steak
 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
 1 bunch watercress
 1/2 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into long matchsticks
 1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
 1 medium tomato, cut into wedges
 3 or 4 sprigs cilantro, stemmed
 1/4 cup salted peanuts, toasted and finely chopped (see Note)

 In medium bowl, combine boiling water and sugar, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Cool to room temperature, then add lime juice, fish sauce and chiles and stir to combine. Set dressing aside.

 In shallow container large enough to contain steak, add ginger, garlic, oil, soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of the reserved dressing and stir. Add steak and turn to coat with marinade. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.

 When ready to cook, prepare grill. Preheat gas grill to medium-high or prepare charcoal for direct-heat cooking. Oil grate. Draining off any excess marinade, grill steak 4 to 5 minutes. Turn over and sprinkle half the pepper on cooked side. Grill 4 to 5 minutes, then turn steak over again and sprinkle remaining pepper on second side. Grill about 1 more minute (cooking time will depend on the thickness of the steak and your preferred degree of doneness; an instant-read thermometer should register 130 to 135 degrees for medium-rare). Transfer to cutting board and let rest 10 to 15 minutes.

 Meanwhile, divide watercress among individual bowls and scatter cucumber, onion, tomato and cilantro on top. When ready to serve, thinly slice steak on an angle across the grain. Stir dressing and spoon some over salad. Lay strips of steak on top, spoon a little more dressing on meat and sprinkle with peanuts. Serve immediately.

 Note: To toast nuts, place in a dry skillet over medium-low heat. Stir or shake pan frequently to prevent burning. Remove nuts from pan when they start to turn brown, 3 to 4 minutes.

 Per serving: (based on 3 servings, with 1 tablespoon dressing) 278 calories, 30g protein, 13g fat (2g saturated), 12g carbohydrate, 946mg sodium, 45mg cholesterol, 3g dietary fiber.

 Adapted from ``Kitchen Sense'' by Mitchell Davis (Clarkson Potter, 528 pp., $35) 
