Spicy Lime Beef Salad

• 1  pound  sugar snap peas, ends and strings trimmed
• 1    red bell pepper, quartered, cored and thinly sliced
• 1    medium cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced thin
• 1  pound  skirt or flank steak
• 1/4  teaspoon  kosher salt
•     Freshly ground black pepper
• 3  tablespoons  vegetable oil
• 2    shallots, thinly sliced
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lime juice
• 2  tablespoons  fish sauce
• 1/2    fresh red chile (seeds and veins removed for less heat if desired), sliced crosswise
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  sugar
• 1  cup  grape tomatoes, halved
• 2  tablespoons  cilantro, chopped
• 2  tablespoons  mint leaves, chopped
• 2  tablespoons  roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped (optional)

Directions

1. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add the sugar snaps and boil 1 minute. Drain and cool under cold running water; drain well. Slice sugar snaps on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces. Transfer to a shallow serving bowl and add the bell pepper and cucumber.
2. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over high heat 2 minutes. Pat the steak dry and season on both sides with the salt and black pepper to taste. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to skillet and cook steak, turning once, until seared, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
3. Pour remaining oil into skillet. Add the shallots and sauté over medium-high heat until browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the lime juice, fish sauce, chile and sugar. Remove from heat.
4. Transfer steak to a cutting board; pour the juices from the plate into skillet. Thinly slice steak across the grain and return sliced meat to skillet; toss to coat.
5. Pour steak and shallot mixture over sugar snaps, bell pepper and cucumber. Garnish with the tomatoes, cilantro and mint and the peanuts if desired; serve immediately.