Crying Tiger Beef Noodle Salad
Tender grilled skirt steak, chewy rice noodles, crisp vegetables, and a bold Thai jaew dipping sauce made with lime, fish sauce, toasted chili, and roasted rice powder. This fiery, fresh spring dinner is packed with texture and unforgettable flavor.
Equipment
- grill or grill pan
- Large Mixing Bowl
- skillet
- mortar and pestle or spice grinder
- instant-read thermometer
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs skirt steak or flank steak
- 5 tbsp fish sauce (divided)
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 2 1/2 tbsp palm sugar or light brown sugar (divided)
- 1 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 1/2 tbsp toasted rice powder
- 1-2 tsp dried Thai chili flakes, toasted and ground
- 5 shallots (divided)
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp raw jasmine rice
- 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 8 oz medium rice noodles
- 1 English cucumber, julienned
- 1 1/2 cups bean sprouts
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 spring onions, sliced
- 1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly torn
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Toast jasmine rice in a dry skillet 5–7 minutes until deep golden. Grind to a coarse powder and set aside.
- Combine rice wine vinegar, sugar, and salt. Add sliced shallots and let sit 10 minutes to pickle.
- Whisk fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar, toasted chili flakes, toasted rice powder, minced shallots, and cilantro to create the jaew sauce.
- Marinate steak with fish sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, palm sugar, black pepper, and garlic for 20–30 minutes.
- Cook rice noodles according to package directions. Drain and toss immediately with sesame oil and 2 tablespoons jaew sauce.
- Grill steak over high heat 3–5 minutes per side until internal temperature reaches 130–135°F for medium-rare. Rest 8 minutes.
- Slice beef thinly against the grain at a 45-degree angle.
- Arrange noodles in bowls. Top with cucumber, bean sprouts, tomatoes, sliced beef, pickled shallots, spring onions, and half the herbs.
- Spoon remaining jaew over top. Garnish with sesame seeds, extra toasted rice powder, and remaining herbs. Serve extra jaew on the side.
Notes
Do not skip the toasted rice powder — it adds authentic nutty depth and texture. Grill beef to medium-rare (130–135°F) for best tenderness and always slice against the grain. Serve at room temperature for optimal flavor.