Recipes, Beef Recipes

Crying Tiger Steak and Noodles

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Crying Tiger Steak and Noodles: I’ve no idea why it’s called Crying Tiger Steak – maybe it’s the sheer heat from the dried chillies, or perhaps tigers just aren’t fans. Some call it waterfall beef, thanks to the way the beef juices run off like a waterfall and are folded back into the dressing, adding depth and richness. Whatever the name, it’s a bold, punchy dish that doesn’t hold back.

Serves 2

Ingredients

Method

Preparing the Ingredients

  1. Any quick-cook cut will work here, but the rich, offal-like flavour of bavette or onglet is particularly well suited to this dish.
  2. Start by soaking the rice noodles: pour boiling water over them to cover, leave for 8–10 minutes to soften, stirring occasionally. Refresh under cold water and set aside, ready for stir-frying.
  3. To make the toasted rice powder, toast the glutinous rice in a dry pan over medium heat until nutty and golden. Then grind to a coarse powder using a pestle and mortar or spice grinder.
  4. Toast the dried chillies in a dry pan until darkened slightly and crisp, then grind to a powder. Use more or less depending on your heat preference.

Crying Tiger Steak and Noodles: Step-by-Step Method

  1. Start by making the dressing. In a pestle and mortar, combine the palm sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, roasted rice, dried chilli, and tamarind paste. Grind until well blended. Taste and adjust – it should be salty, smoky, a little sweet, and nutty from the toasted rice. Tweak the balance as you like.
  2. Now cook the steak. Bring the bavette to room temperature. Rub with the soft butter, sprinkle with sea salt, and gently massage the seasoning into the meat. Cook in a smoking hot pan, grill pan, or over barbecue coals – keeping it rare or even blue helps retain the juices that enrich the final dish.
  3. Sear for 1–2 minutes per side, depending on thickness, then rest for 5 minutes in a warm place. Slice across the grain into 1cm thick bite-sized pieces so they melt in the mouth.
  4. To serve, tip the sliced steak and resting juices into a bowl. Add the dressing and cooked rice noodles, then toss thoroughly to coat everything. Pile the dressed noodles onto the iceberg lettuce leaves, ensuring some of the steak sits visibly on top – the lettuce adds a crisp, fresh counterpoint to the soft noodles and rich dressing.
  5. Finish with a sprinkle of toasted rice powder, if using, for added texture. Serve with chopsticks – and napkins to mop up the tears.

Shop the ingredients

Sebby is a writer, food enthusiast and acclaimed chef who enjoys connecting with people, sharing recipes and spreading his love for Thai cuisine. His best-selling cook book ‘Cook Thai’ has further affirmed this path for him as an influencer of Thai cookery. Sebby discovered his taste for Thai-food during a tour of Asia in 2008, and since then hasn’t looked back. He worked his way up to sous chef position at ‘The Begging Bowl’, before heading the kitchen for the launch of ‘The Smoking Goat’, Soho, one of the most acclaimed openings of 2015. Sebby decided at the ripe age of 26 it was time to go solo and launched Thai restaurant 'Farang' without taking any outside investment. He built his team from scratch, and within a year Farang had received a Michelin Bib Gourmand and was listed in the top hundred restaurants by Restaurant magazine.