Nam Tok (Grilled Beef Salad)

Make the toasted rice powder: in a dry skillet over medium heat toast a handful of Sticky rice until golden-brown and fragrant, then grind or pound it coarsely to a powder to create the Toasted rice powder.

Prepare the aromatics and chilies: dry-toast a few Dried Thai chili until slightly blistered, then crush or grind them coarsely; thinly slice 2–3 Shallots and soak briefly in cold water if you want to mellow their bite.

Cook the steak: pat the Beef sirloin steak dry and season lightly with Salt. Sear or grill over high heat until charred outside and medium-rare (or to your liking), about 2–4 minutes per side depending on thickness. Let rest 5–10 minutes, then slice thinly across the grain.

Make the dressing: whisk together freshly squeezed Lime juice, Fish sauce and a little grated or dissolved Palm sugar until balanced—tangy, salty and slightly sweet. Stir in the crushed Dried Thai chili to taste.

Assemble the salad: in a large bowl combine the sliced steak with the sliced Shallots, chopped Scallions, torn Mint leaves, chopped Cilantro and roughly chopped Sawtooth coriander. Pour the dressing over and toss gently to coat.

Finish and serve: sprinkle the salad generously with the homemade Toasted rice powder for a toasty crunch, adjust seasoning with more Lime juice or Fish sauce if needed, and serve immediately—great with extra steamed sticky rice or on its own.