Recipe Background
This Thai steak dish pairs bold flavors with quick preparation for a flavorful escape.
Just before I moved out of my childhood home, my mom and I shared a special tradition: cooking a meal together that celebrated the flavors from our dream travel destinations. On a rainy afternoon, we landed on the idea of making a Thai-inspired dish. The kitchen soon filled with the bold scents of fish sauce and lime juice, evoking our imaginary escapade to bustling night markets. It wasn’t just about the meal; it was our culinary adventure, stirring whispers of wanderlust into every dish we tried.
Selecting sirloin for its rich flavor, we lovingly coated it in a marinade of soy and oyster sauces, with brown sugar for a hint of sweetness. Mom taught me that letting the steak come to room temperature before cooking would ensure it seared to perfection, locking in the juices. I vividly remember the sizzle of the meat as it hit the oil in our trusty old skillet, a sound synonymous with home.
While the steak rested, which I learned ensures the slices stay tender when cutting, we ground toasted jasmine rice in a mortar to create a distinctive, nutty crumble. Newfound skills and flavors came together, painting a delicious picture of anticipation for future adventures. As we sat down to eat, each bite was seasoned with a blend of nostalgia and excitement for the journey ahead. It was a milestone that marked not just the end of one chapter, but the promise of new beginnings.
Ingredients
For the steak:
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (1 1/2-pound) sirloin can substitute rib-eye, strip, or flank steak
- neutral oil to taste
For the Crying Tiger sauce:
- 2 tablespoons glutinous white rice or jasmine rice
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon tamarind paste
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 large clove garlic minced
- 4 small Thai red chiles finely chopped, plus more, to taste, sliced, for garnish
- 2 teaspoons red chili flakes
- 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
- 1 small shallot chopped
- 2 scallions sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- parsley leaves optional, to taste, for garnish
Directions
- In a shallow bowl, add 2 tablespoons of the fish sauce, the soy sauce, the oyster sauce, the brown sugar, 2 cloves of the minced garlic, and 1 teaspoon of the black pepper and whisk to combine.
- Add the steak to the marinade mixture and turn it once to completely coat it.
- Allow the marinated steak to sit in the bowl in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Make sure to allow the steak to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes after marinating.
- In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, add the rice and cook, while stirring constantly, until it is golden-brown in color, about 10-12 minutes.
- Transfer the toasted rice to a mortar or a spice grinder and grind it into a coarse powder.
- In a bowl, add the remaining fish sauce, the lime juice, the tamarind paste, the sugar, 1 tablespoon of the toasted rice powder, the remaining minced garlic, 4 of the sliced red chiles, the red chili flakes, the cilantro, the shallots, the scallions, and the remaining black pepper and whisk to combine. If there is extra toasted rice powder, reserve it for another use.
- Set the sauce aside.
- In a cast-iron or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, heat a thin layer of the oil.
- Add the steak to the hot oil and cook, undisturbed, until seared on the bottom, about 2 minutes.
- Flip the steak and cook, undisturbed, until seared on the bottom, about 2 minutes.
- Cook the steak, while flipping it every 1-2 minutes, until it reaches an internal temperature of 130 degrees F, about 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer the steak to a cutting board and allow it to rest until it reaches an internal temperature of 135 degrees F for medium-rare, about 10 minutes.
- Slice the steak against the grain.
- Serve the steak with the sauce and garnish with the extra chile slices and the parsley.
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