Mouthwatering Tiger Thai Steak

This mouthwatering Thai Crying Tiger steak brings fancy restaurant taste right to your kitchen. The juicy seared beef paired with the zingy dipping sauce makes for an amazing meal that hits all those Thai flavor points - sweet, tangy, salty and fiery.

I stumbled upon this dish while backpacking in Thailand and I've tweaked it countless times for dinner guests. Every single time, folks take that first sauce-dipped bite and their faces light up with pure joy.

Ingredients

• Ribeye steak: Gives you that ideal fat marbling throughout. As it cooks, those fat bits melt away making everything super moist
• Oyster sauce: Brings that deep savory kick to your marinade. Try to grab bottles where oysters come first on the ingredient list
• Palm sugar: Adds those special caramel hints. Dark brown sugar works okay as a backup option
• Tamarind pulp: Gives that must-have tanginess. Asian markets sell the blocks which taste way better
• Rice powder: Makes your sauce thicker with a slight nutty taste. Making your own really pays off
• Thai chili flakes: Bring the famous heat. Add more or less depending on how brave you're feeling

Step-by-Step Instructions

Marinate the Steak:

Mix up oyster sauce, palm sugar, lime juice, soy sauce, crushed garlic and oil in a container. Stir till the sugar's completely gone. Put your steak in and work that mixture all over the meat. Let it sit for 15 minutes at room temp so the flavors sink in and the meat warms up a bit for better cooking.

Prepare Tamarind Base:

Get some boiling water and pour it over your tamarind pulp in a bowl. Let it soften up for a couple minutes until you can mash it easily. Use your fingers to work all the flesh away from seeds and strings. Push it through a fine strainer to get just the smooth paste. This gives your sauce that awesome tanginess.

Toast Rice Powder:

Toss some raw rice in a totally dry pan over medium flame. Keep it moving so it doesn't burn, waiting for it to turn golden and smell nutty – usually takes 3-4 minutes. Grind it up right away while it's still warm using whatever grinder you've got. This fresh-toasted rice really makes your sauce special with its subtle smokiness.

Create Dipping Sauce:

Throw together your tamarind paste, ground rice, palm sugar, chopped shallots, fresh cilantro, fish sauce, lime juice and chili flakes in a bowl. Mix it all up until the sugar disappears. Let everything sit about 5 minutes so the flavors can get friendly. You want a nice balance where nothing's too overpowering.

Sear the Steak:

Get a heavy pan super hot – almost smoking hot. Add a splash of oil and carefully lay your marinated steak in. Don't move it for 3-4 minutes so it forms an amazing brown crust. Flip it over and do the same on the other side. The crazy heat turns all those marinade sugars into yummy flavors while keeping the juices locked in.

Rest and Slice:

Move your cooked steak to a cutting board and don't touch it for 10 whole minutes. This wait is super important as it lets all those juices settle back through the meat. Cut thin slices against the grain at a slight angle to make it more tender. Arrange your meat on a plate with the sauce on the side for a nice presentation.

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Top Beef Options for Crying Tiger

Though ribeye is the classic choice for this dish, any nicely marbled cut does the job beautifully. Flat iron steak gives great flavor without breaking the bank, so I use it for regular weeknight meals. If you go with flank steak, let it soak in the marinade for about 2 hours, but you'll get amazing texture. No matter what you pick, keep it around 1 inch thick for the best cooking results and buy good quality meat since it really is the main attraction here.

Serving Suggestions

The Thai way is to pair Crying Tiger with sticky rice, which helps cool down the spicy sauce. A simple cucumber salad works great alongside it too. If you want a full Thai feast, start with some papaya salad or tom yum soup. Always put out extra lime wedges and chili flakes so everyone can adjust things to their liking. This dish works great for bigger groups too – just make more!

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Storage Information

Your cooked beef will stay good in the fridge for up to 3 days if you keep it in a sealed container. For the juiciest results, only slice what you'll eat right away and store the rest uncut. The sauce can hang out in the fridge separately for about a week, though it tastes best in the first two days. If your sauce gets too thick after chilling, just add a tiny splash of lime juice or water to thin it out. Never put the sauce in the freezer as it'll mess up the texture completely.

Quick Ingredient Substitutions

Can't find tamarind pulp? Mix 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce with 1 teaspoon lime juice for a similar taste. No fish sauce around? Try light soy sauce with a tiny bit of anchovy paste mixed in. Regular jasmine rice works fine for making rice powder if you can't get glutinous rice. Want to make it veggie-friendly? Swap the ribeye for thick-sliced grilled king oyster mushrooms and use soy sauce with a bit of mushroom powder instead of fish sauce to get that savory depth.

Recipe FAQs

→ What cut of beef works best for Crying Tiger?

You can use rib eye, strip sirloin, flat iron, or flank steak for this dish. Go for meat that's about 1-inch thick with nice fat running through it for extra taste. Flank steak is cheaper but needs to soak in the marinade a bit longer. Rib eye gives you the most flavor if you don't mind spending more.

→ What is toasted rice powder and why is it important?

Toasted rice powder (khao khua) is made by cooking plain rice in a dry pan until it turns golden, then grinding it up. It gives the sauce a nutty taste and makes it slightly thicker. You really can't skip this for real Tiger sauce because it adds both amazing flavor and the right texture.

→ Can I make this dish less spicy?

Sure thing! Just cut back on the Thai chili flakes or leave them out completely when making the sauce. If you want it mild, start with a tiny bit of chili and add more if needed. You can also put extra chili on the table for folks who love the heat.

→ What should I serve with Crying Tiger?

The dish goes great with sticky rice, green papaya salad (som tam), and raw veggies like cucumber chunks, cabbage wedges, and Thai basil sprigs. Add some tom yum soup for a complete Thai feast. The cool veggies balance out the rich meat and spicy sauce perfectly.

→ Can I prepare the dipping sauce in advance?

Absolutely! You can make the sauce up to 3 days before and keep it in the fridge in a sealed container. The flavors actually get better as they sit together. Just let it warm up to room temp before serving and give it a stir since the rice powder might sink to the bottom.

→ Is there a vegetarian alternative to this dish?

You can swap the beef for firm tofu, big portobello mushrooms, or seitan if you don't eat meat. Soak these in the same marinade, but use veggie stir-fry sauce instead of oyster sauce. For the dipping sauce, try mushroom soy sauce instead of fish sauce. You'll need to adjust cooking times depending on what you choose.