Firefighter can stand heat in kitchen

About 12 years ago, Dave Wrast went to dinner at the home of a Thai friend of his now-wife, Jennifer. The meal he was served, a dish of beef atop a bed of greens, made such an impression that the Vancouver firefighter set about trying to re-create the flavors.

Over the years, Wrast, 41, has perfected his own Thai Beef Salad. The dish recently was featured on “Live with Regis and Kelly,” as part of the talk show’s summer Coast-to-Coast Firehouse Cook-Off.

Jennifer Wrast nominated her husband for the contest, and his co-workers at the firehouse on East Mill Plain Boulevard and North Devine Road helped him film a short segment to send to “Live with Regis and Kelly.”

Wrast is his station’s primary cook, a role he relishes.

“I enjoy it, so I always volunteer,” he said. “What I like to do is introduce people to new things.”

Although Wrast didn’t win the “Live with Regis and Kelly” contest, his recipe — and his cooking, in general — are a hit both at the firehouse and at home.

“He’s a good cook,” Jennifer Wrast said. “I got really lucky when I married him.”

She isn’t the only one who appreciates Dave’s cooking. When he’s not on duty, co-workers at Vancouver Fire Department Station 3 will call asking for their favorite recipes from his “Top 10 List,” which includes everything from tom yum noodles to buffalo chicken wings.

Also on that list is his Thai Beef Salad. The dish is so flavorful, Wrast said, that it’s almost addictive.

“It uses a lot of lime juice that’s a sour taste. Then the fish sauce in it is really salty,” he said. “With the citrus from the lime juice and the salt, it gives it a really unique flavor.”

Dave Wrast’s Firehouse 3 Thai Beef Salad

Serves 6-8

Dave Wrast’s Thai Beef Salad was recently featured on “Live with Regis and Kelly.” Try it at home.

½ cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons plus ½ cup fish sauce

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons of sugar

2 pounds flank steak

2/3 cup chicken stock

4 green onions, finely chopped

½ cup finely chopped shallot

Handful of coarsely chopped cilantro leaves

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

½ cup fresh lime juice

1-2 heads of leaf lettuce, washed and chopped

4 small cucumbers, peeled and sliced

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

Handful of mint leaves

Combine soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of fish sauce and 2 tablespoons of sugar; mix to dissolve sugar. Add beef, marinate for at least 2 hours, turning occasionally. Cook beef over hot grill until medium rare. Transfer to platter.

Thinly slice beef into strips. In small saucepan, bring chicken stock to gentle boil. Add green onions, shallots, cilantro, red pepper, remaining sugar, remaining fish sauce and lime. Add beef to warm for about 1 minute.

Place lettuce on platter. Add beef to top of lettuce using slotted spoon. Drizzle beef with some additional sauce from pan. Garnish with cucumber, tomatoes and mint. Serve immediately.