So what's the twist with Thai Beef Salad with a Chinese Twist? The addition of rice wine and Chinese five-spice powder, a useful ingredient in so many mainland dishes.

Thai Beef Salad with a Chinese Twist

1 tablespoon peanut oil

8-ounce sirloin steak

1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

1 tablespoon Shao-Hsing rice wine, or dry sherry

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 scallion, finely sliced

1 1/2 ounces thinly sliced cucumber strips (sliced with a vegetable peeler)

1 lemon grass stalk, finely sliced

1 red onion, finely sliced

2 red chilies, seeded and chopped

1 tablespoon fish sauce (nam pla)

1 teaspoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons lime juice

Handful of fresh mint leaves, stripped from stems and roughly chopped

Handful of cilantro

5 ounces watercress

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the steak and cook to taste, about 6 minutes per side depending on desired doneness. With the steak in the pan, season with five-spice powder, then drizzle with rice wine. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then set aside to cool slightly. Slice the steak into thin strips.

In a large bowl, combine the steak strips, any juices from the pan and all remaining ingredients except the cilantro and watercress. Mix well, then season with salt and pepper.

To serve, layer cilantro and watercress on a plate and top with beef salad mixture. Spoon some of the juices from the bowl over the salad.

Makes 1 serving (recipe is easily multiplied).

Note: Preparation time may vary. Preparation time for the dish is given as 10 minutes. But it includes lots of finely sliced onions, cucumber sliced with a peeler, chopped chili peppers and finely sliced lemon grass, among other ingredients. Cutting the vegetables with a knife, instead of using a food processor, will increase the prep time.

Recipe from: "China Modern," by Ching-He Huang; Kyle Books, 2006, $19.95