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Nam tok neua
น้ำตกเนื้อ (nam tok nuea) — Isan grilled beef salad with chilli, lime and toasted rice
The name means 'waterfall', after the juices that drip from the beef onto the coals, and this salad is what Isan drinking spots and family barbecues serve when there is good meat on the grill. Smoky slices of pink steak are tossed while still warm with lime, fish sauce, chilli flakes, shallots and mint, then dusted with toasted rice powder for crunch. The meat soaks up the dressing like a sponge, so every bite is juicy, sour and hot. Pile it on a plate with sticky rice, cabbage, cucumber and long beans. Chef's tip: choose a steak with some marbling, such as sirloin or rump; very lean cuts turn dry and chewy once sliced thin.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the beef
For the toasted rice powder
For the dressing
For the salad
To serve
Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Rub 1 ⅛ lb beef sirloin or rump steak with 1 tbsp fish sauce, ½ tsp ground white pepper and 1 tsp vegetable oil and leave for 15 minutes in the fridge while you prepare the rest. Keep a separate board for the raw beef.
15 minStep 2: Toast 2 tbsp uncooked sticky rice in a dry pan over a medium heat, shaking often, for 6–8 minutes until deep golden. Cool and grind to a coarse powder.
8 minStep 3: Mix 2 tbsp fish sauce, 4 tbsp lime juice, 1 ½ tsp dried chilli flakes and ½ tsp palm sugar in a large bowl until the sugar dissolves.
Step 4: Grill the steak over very hot charcoal or in a smoking-hot griddle pan for 3–4 minutes a side. Check the centre with a thermometer: 126°F for rare, 135°F for medium-rare (traditional), 145°F for medium.
8 minStep 5: Rest the steak on a clean board for 5–8 minutes. A common mistake is slicing it straight away: the juices run out onto the board instead of staying in the meat.
6 minStep 6: Slice the beef thinly across the grain and add it to the dressing with any juices from the board. Toss so the warm meat soaks up the dressing.
Step 7: Add 3 shallots, 2 spring onions, ⅔ oz fresh mint leaves, ½ oz fresh coriander and most of the rice powder. Toss gently, taste for sourness and salt, and scatter the remaining rice powder on top.
Step 8: Serve straight away with cabbage, long beans and sticky rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does nam tok neua take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of fish sauce?
- Soy sauce with a squeeze of lime (vegetarian).
- What can I use instead of uncooked sticky rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
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