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Crying Tiger Recipe

Name: Nawa Thai Manhattan Beachs Crying Tiger Recipe
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 1 lb flank steak or sirloin; 1 tsp kosher salt; 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground; 2 tbs vegetable oil or neutral oil; 2 tbs soy sauce; 1 tbs fish sauce; 1 tsp brown sugar; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tsp white pepper; 1 tbs tamarind paste; 2 tbs fish sauce; 2 tbs lime juice, fresh; 1 tbs palm sugar or brown sugar; 2 tsp dried roasted chili flakes (prik bon); 2 tsp toasted rice powder (khao khua); 1 ea shallot, very thinly sliced; 2 tbs fresh cilantro, chopped (optional stems ok); 1 ea scallions, thinly sliced; 1 ea fresh Thai bird chiles or serrano, thinly sliced; 2 tsp uncooked jasmine or sticky rice; 8 ea lettuce leaves or cabbage leaves; 1 ea cucumber, sliced; 4 ea lime wedges

Inspired by Nawa Thai Manhattan Beach

Time45m

Serves4

Make Crying Tiger Recipe in just 45m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.

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Ingredients

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Beef

1 lb flank steak or sirloin

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp Black pepper, freshly ground

2 tbs vegetable oil or neutral oil

Marinade (optional, for tenderness and flavor)

2 tbs Aged soy sauce

1 tbs Fish sauce

1 tsp Brown sugar

2 cloves Garlic, minced

1 tsp White pepper

Crying Tiger (Nam Jim Jaew) Sauce

1 tbs tamarind paste

2 tbs Fish sauce

2 tbs lime juice, fresh

1 tbs palm sugar or brown sugar

2 tsp dried roasted chili flakes (prik bon)

2 tsp toasted rice powder (khao khua)

1 ea shallot, very thinly sliced

2 tbs fresh cilantro, chopped (optional stems ok)

1 ea scallions, thinly sliced

1 ea fresh Thai bird chiles or serrano, thinly sliced

Toasted Rice Powder (khao khua)

2 tsp uncooked jasmine or sticky rice

To Serve

8 ea lettuce leaves or cabbage leaves

1 ea Cucumber, sliced

4 ea Lime wedges

Method

Beef

Trim and season

Trim excess fat from the steak and, if thick, slice horizontally to an even 1/2-inch thickness. Pat dry with paper towels. Rub both sides with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Marinate (optional)

If using the marinade, combine soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic, and white pepper in a bowl. Place the seasoned steak in a shallow dish or zip-top bag and pour the marinade over it. Refrigerate 30 minutes to 2 hours. Remove 30 minutes before cooking to come closer to room temperature.

Grill or pan-sear

Preheat a grill, grill pan, or heavy skillet over high heat until very hot. Brush steak lightly with vegetable oil. Sear the steak 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium-rare (internal temperature about 130–135°F / 54–57°C), slightly longer if you prefer medium. Avoid overcooking — Crying Tiger is best sliced medium-rare to medium.

Rest and slice

Transfer the cooked steak to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil. Rest 5–10 minutes. Slice thinly across the grain into 1/8–1/4-inch slices. Arrange on a platter for serving.

Toasted Rice Powder (khao khua)

Place the 2 tsp uncooked rice in a dry skillet over medium heat. Stir constantly or toss the rice so it toasts evenly until golden brown and fragrant, about 3–5 minutes. Transfer to a mortar & pestle or small spice grinder and grind to a coarse powder. Set aside.

Crying Tiger (Nam Jim Jaew) Sauce

In a small bowl combine tamarind paste, fish sauce, lime juice, and palm sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves. Taste for balance — the sauce should be tangy, salty, and slightly sweet.

Add the toasted rice powder and dried roasted chili flakes to the sauce and stir to combine.

Fold in the very thinly sliced shallot, chopped cilantro, sliced scallion, and sliced fresh chiles. Let the sauce sit 5–10 minutes so the shallot and chiles soften and flavors meld. Adjust seasoning: add a little more fish sauce for salt, lime for acidity, or sugar for sweetness.

To Serve

Arrange warm sliced steak with lettuce or cabbage leaves, cucumber slices, and lime wedges. Spoon Nam Jim Jaew into a small serving bowl and place beside the steak.

To eat, place a slice of steak in a lettuce leaf, top with a spoonful of the sauce, add cucumber if desired, fold and bite. Garnish with extra cilantro or scallions as desired.