This is the best Thai beef salad, Nom Tok or Thai Waterfall Beef Salad. It is a popular Thai Isaan dish.
My friend and I love Thai food and Nom Tok is a favorite dish. She orders it every time we get Thai food and it is never very good. Sooo! I decided to do some research and make a great version!! This version will get you many compliments!
The Salad!
When done right this Thai beef salad is amazing. A combination minty, sour, salty, umami, spicy, a little sweet, meaty, it is a taste explosion and when served with rice it can be a meal. Oh yeah, healthy!
The Meat!
Flank steak was my go to for this dish but New York strip was on sale so I gave it a try. I liked it much better and it was easier to work with because it was easier to slice and temp.
You can use any type of steak style meat, flank, flap, strip, top sirloin etc…
Let’s Get Going!
I used this recipe as a base then I customized to my liking.
Marinate about 1 pound of beef in 2 tbsp of soy, 1 tsp of fresh ground black pepper, couple slices of ginger (optional and not traditional but I love ginger), let it marinade at least an hour or overnight.
Big Tip!! While The Steak Marinades!
Make the roasted rice powder!! This is a very important ingredient, it gives texture and helps the dressing stick.
Make a batch of half cup and save what you don’t use. Most recipes say use sticky rice but any rice works. Put 1/2 cup rice (I used broken jasmine) in a pan on the stove and keep shaking it over the heat until the color starts to change. Grind in a spice grinder or grind with a mortar and pestle.
Cook The Meat
I used a grill pan, you can sauté, and if you are really ambitious light the grill up. Cook it to your desired temperature but don’t go past medium, that would be sacrilegious, not really but you get it!!! (I love exclamation points/marks!!!!!!!!!)
Slice the meat. If using flank or flap very thin against the grain. The strip I used I sliced about 1/16 to 1/8 inch and it was great. Wait!!!! Don’t forget to let your meat rest!!!
Make the Dressing
Ok It comes together fast. You have the beef and the rice powder.
Mix together
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- sugar to taste (I use a tsp but you can use more)
The Rest
Put the sliced meat in a bowl and add
- 4 shallots (red onion in a pinch) thinly sliced
- 1 green onion sliced
- 1/2 bunch cilantro chopped
- handful of mint leaves chopped
- 1 tbsp Asian chili flakes (they are a finer grind than the regular flakes) I grind my own.
- 1 tbsp rice powder
- 1/4 cup diced Roma tomato (optional but good)
- 2 tbsp julienne ginger (not traditional but I love ginger and it is so good for you)
- the dressing
Mix it all up, garnish (mint, rice powder, chili flakes), and serve with rice.
Try this other great Asian salad
Nom Tok (Thai Beef Salad)
Ingredients
Meat and Marinade
- 1 lbs N.Y. Strip, Flank, Flap, tenderloin. (read above)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
- 5 slices ginger (optional)
The Dressing
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp sugar or more to taste
The Salad
- 5 small shallot thinly sliced (red onion in a pinch)
- 1 green onion sliced (ok if you omit)
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- chopped mint to taste (1/4 cup)
- 1 tbsp Asian style dried chili flake (finer grind read above)
- 1 tbsp roasted rice powder (read above this is very important)
- 1/4 cup diced roma tomato (optional)
- 2 tbsp julienne ginger (optional and not traditional but great addition)
Instructions
- Marinade the meat for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Grill meat to desired temperature
- Make rice powder (read above)
- mix dressing ingredients
- slice the meat 1/8 inch
- mix everything together, garnish and serve with rice.