Quick & Easy Crying Tiger Beef
Juicy marinated steak served with a sweet, tangy, spicy Thai dipping sauce. This quick and easy crying tiger beef recipe is ready in 30 minutes. A flavorful main dish perfect for the Thai food lovers! It's better-than-takeout.
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 6 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 lb rib eye steak (or strip sirloin, flat iron steak, flank steak, 1-inch thick)
- 2 tsp vegetable oil (or any neutral oil)
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce (or vegetarian stir fry sauce)
- 1 tbsp palm sugar (finely chopped (or use brown sugar or coconut sugar))
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp regular soy sauce (or light soy sauce)
- 2 tsp garlic (minced)
- 2 tsp vegetable oil (or any neutral oil)
- 1 tbsp tamarind pulp
- 3 tbsp hot boiling water (to make tamarind paste)
- 1 tsp uncooked glutinous rice (or jasmine rice)
- 1 tbsp palm sugar (finely chopped (or use brown sugar or coconut sugar))
- 1 tbsp shallots (finely diced)
- 1 tbsp cilantro (or coriander, finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1/2 tsp Thai chili flakes (or Korean red pepper flakes)
Instructions
- 1
In a large bowl, combine the marinade ingredients as listed above. Evenly coat the steaks in the marinade and marinate for at least 15 minutes at room temperature.
- 2
Make tamarind paste: In a small bowl, add tamarind pulp and hot boiling water. Dissolve the pulp with a fork. Once cooled, dissolve the pulp around the seeds with clean hands. Run the paste through a fine sieve to remove any pulp or seeds. Set aside.
- 3
Heat a pan on medium heat and toast rice grains until slightly brown or for 3-4 minutes. Transfer toasted rice to a mortar and pestle, spice grinder or a blender and grind into a powder.
- 4
In a small bowl, combine the tamarind paste, rice powder and remaining dipping sauce ingredients as listed above and set aside.
- 5
Heat vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan or cast iron skillet on medium-high heat. Sear the steaks for 3-4 minutes per side for rare to medium-rare, or until an internal temperature of 131-139 F checked with a digital thermometer. For medium-well, reduce to medium heat and cook for 1 extra minute per side, until it internally reaches 150-158 F. For well-done, keep cooking on medium heat for 2-3 extra minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 158 F.
- 6
Remove the steaks from the pan and rest for 10 minutes before slicing against the grain into strips. Serve sliced steak with dipping sauce!