Nue Nam Tok: Grilled Beef with Thai Seasoning
Submitted by aline
Thai grilled beef salad (Nam Tok) with flank steak, lime juice, fish sauce, toasted rice powder, and fresh chilies. Smoky, sour, and spicy with a nutty crunch from ground roasted rice.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
30 minREADY
40 minNam Tok, which translates to “waterfall” in Thai, is a grilled beef salad dressed in a punchy mix of lime juice, fish sauce, ground chilies, and toasted rice powder. That rice powder is the secret ingredient most people skip, and it’s what gives the dressing a nutty, sandy texture that clings to every strip of meat.
Grill the flank steak over high heat for a good char, then slice it thin against the grain. You want the beef still pink inside so it stays tender when it soaks up the dressing. Toss it while it’s still warm so the fibers open up and absorb all that sour, salty, fiery sauce.
The chili-vinegar condiment on the side is not optional. Those sliced serranos soaking in vinegar for 15 minutes create a sharp, acidic heat that cuts through the richness of the beef.
Pro Tips
- Toast the rice in a dry wok until deep golden, stirring constantly. It goes from golden to burnt in seconds, so don’t walk away.
- Grind the roasted rice to a fine powder. Coarse bits are gritty and unpleasant. A spice grinder does the job in a few pulses.
- Make extra toasted rice powder and store it in a jar. It keeps for weeks and works in any Thai salad.
- Serve at room temperature, not cold. Chilling tightens the beef and mutes the dressing flavors.
Variations
- Use grilled pork neck or shoulder instead of beef for the pork version (Nam Tok Moo).
- Add shredded green papaya or sliced cucumber for extra crunch.
- Increase the chilies and serve over sticky rice for a more traditional Isaan-style meal.
Ingredients
Directions
- Remove the stems, but not the seedes, from the chilies. Slice the chiles crosswise into pieces ⅛” thick.
Place the sliced chiles and vinegar in a small serving bowl.
Let it stand for at least 15 minutes.
- Grill the beef to the desired doneness, preferably over Slice it across the grain into strips ⅛” thick and 1 to 2 inches long. Put these in a large ceramic bowl.
- Peel the red onion, remove the root portion, and slice the onion Slice the green onion diagonally into thin pieces. Add both types of onion to the beef.
- Add the lime juice, fish sauce, ground chilies, and ground rice. Mix well 5. Arrange a single layer of lettuce leaves on a serving platter, and place th beef mixture on top. Garnish with sprigs of coriander and mint or basil leaves.
- Serve at room temperature, the vinegar sauce (from Step 1)
- Use small hot chilies about 3 to 4 inches long. Roast whole chillie stems and all, in a dry wok or skillet until the color changes to dark red or brown depending on the chilies used. Be careful not to let them burn. When the chilies have cooled, remove the stems and seeds. Place the chilies in a food processor or blender and grind using short pulses. Pre-ground chilies are also commercially available, but often lack the “bite” of home ground ones and may be more expensive. ** Place uncooked rice in a dry wok or skillet and heat over moderate heat until deep golden brown, s tirring frequently to keep from burning and to allow it to develop a uniform color. Watch the rice carefully after it begins to change colorand stir constantly because it can burn easily at this stage. When it is auniform deep golden color, remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Grind it to a fine powder in a blender or a spice grinder. This can be made in advance and kept in quantity so that there is always a supply on hand, but it is also easy to make up while preparing the dish.
Comments
thats a great recipe