My advice is a Half-Minotaur anything Medium. Probably Dwarf, Orc, or Mongrelfolk. Orcs and Mongrelfolk have significant mental penalties, but one gives +4 Str and the other gives +4 Con. Make either one Dragonborn, except you're going for Monk and so probably want Dex (although you could always PrC into Fist of the Forest or Stonewarden or both). You'll have +1 LA, but Large size and (using the Mongrelfolk as an example), +12 Str, +12 Con, -4 Dex, -4 Int, -4 Cha. A higher AC character would lose Dragonborn for -2 Con, +2 Dex, and +4 Natural armor, among other things.
That might be a bit over the top, though.