Suea Rong Hai

Suea Rong Hai (Weeping Tiger Grilled Beef with Jaew)

A Thai Isan-style grilled beef, marinated in fish sauce, soy sauce and garlic, then charred over charcoal and served with jaew - a fiery dipping sauce of lime, dried chili, shallots and toasted ground rice. Sliced thin and eaten with raw vegetables and sticky rice.

Prep

30 min

Cook

15 min

Total

45 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •600 g (1⅓ lb) beef sirloin or brisket, sirloin for quick grilling, brisket if you prefer richer, fattier meat
• •3 tbsp fish sauce
• •2 tbsp light soy sauce, or Thai thin soy sauce
• •1 tbsp oyster sauce, common home-cook addition for gloss and sweetness
• •2 tbsp lime juice
• •1 tbsp palm sugar, or 2 tsp brown sugar
• •6 cloves garlic, finely minced or pounded
• •1 tsp white pepper
• •2 tbsp neutral oil, for the grill or pan
• •3 tbsp sticky rice (khao niao), dry-toasted in a pan for the jaew - this is the toasted rice powder (khao khua)
• •4 tbsp lime juice, for the jaew
• •3 tbsp fish sauce, for the jaew
• •2 tbsp dried chili flakes, adjust to taste; Thai dried chili flakes (prik pon) are best
• •3 tbsp shallots, thinly sliced
• •2 tbsp spring onion, thinly sliced
• •2 tbsp coriander leaves, roughly chopped
• •1 tbsp toasted rice powder, extra, for serving
• •150 g (5 oz) raw vegetables, cucumber slices, long beans, cabbage wedges and lettuce - to cool the heat

Steps

1. 1 Make the toasted rice powder: dry-toast the sticky rice in a small pan over medium heat, shaking often, until deep golden and nutty, 5–7 minutes. Cool, then grind to a coarse powder in a mortar or spice grinder. Set aside - you'll use it in the jaew and for finishing.
2. 2 Marinate the beef: in a bowl, combine the fish sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, 2 tbsp lime juice, palm sugar, minced garlic and white pepper. Add the beef and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours (no longer, or the lime juice will start to cure the surface).
3. 3 Make the jaew: in a serving bowl, stir together 4 tbsp lime juice, 3 tbsp fish sauce and the dried chili flakes. Add the sliced shallots, spring onion, coriander and 2 tbsp of the toasted rice powder. Taste - it should be sharply sour, salty and very hot. Adjust lime, fish sauce or chili as needed. Set aside to let the flavours meld.
4. 4 Take the beef out of the fridge 15 minutes before grilling. Heat a charcoal grill, grill pan or heavy skillet until very hot. Lightly oil the grate or pan.
5. 5 Grill the beef over high heat, 3–4 minutes per side for medium (internal temperature 60–63°C / 140–145°F for medium-rare to medium; 71°C / 160°F if you prefer it well done). Baste once with any leftover marinade in the first minute only, then discard the remaining raw marinade. You want a dark, smoky char on the outside.
6. 6 Rest the beef on a board for 5 minutes - this keeps the juices in. Slice thinly against the grain.
7. 7 Arrange the sliced beef on a plate, spoon over some of the jaew, and scatter with the remaining toasted rice powder. Serve immediately with the raw vegetables, sticky rice and the jaew on the side for dipping.