Grilled beef sliced and tossed in a searing hot lime, fish sauce, and toasted rice powder dressing with herbs and chilli — Isan’s greatest grilled meat salad.

Nam Tok — literally waterfall — gets its evocative name from the juices that drip from the grilling meat like a waterfall as it cooks. It is the grilled meat version of Larb, sharing the same essential dressing of lime juice, fish sauce, dried chilli, and toasted rice powder but built around sliced grilled beef rather than cooked mince. The result is a dish with more textural range — the tender, slightly charred beef against the crunch of the raw shallots and the herbs creates a contrast that is deeply satisfying.

The beef must be cooked correctly: grilled over the highest possible heat until the outside is well-charred and the inside is medium-rare to medium. The juice that runs from the resting meat is collected and added to the dressing, intensifying its beefy depth. This integration of the cooking juices into the dressing is one of the details that makes Nam Tok extraordinary.

The toasted rice powder — kao kua — is the ingredient that unifies the whole salad. Made by toasting raw glutinous rice until golden and grinding it coarsely, it absorbs the excess dressing, thickens it slightly, and adds a distinctive nutty, toasty flavour that is unique to Isan cooking. Make it in large batches — it keeps for months and is used in both Nam Tok and Larb.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 340 kcal | Protein: 32g | Carbs: 14g | Fat: 16g | Fiber: 2g

Waterfall Beef Salad

Recipe by By butter u0026 berriesCourse: Thai

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Calories

340

kcal

Ingredients

•t300g beef sirloin or rump steak, at least 2.5cm thick
•t3 tbsp fish sauce
•t3 tbsp fresh lime juice
•t2 tsp dried chilli flakes (prik bon)
•t2 tbsp toasted rice powder (see notes)
•t4 shallots, thinly sliced
•t4 spring onions, thinly sliced
•tLarge handful fresh mint leaves
•tLarge handful fresh coriander
•tSticky rice or steamed jasmine rice to serve
•tExtra lime, fish sauce, and chilli on the side

Directions

Make toasted rice powder if needed: toast 4 tbsp raw glutinous rice in a dry pan over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until golden and nutty. Grind coarsely in a spice grinder or mortar. Set aside.
Season steak generously with salt and pepper. Grill on the highest possible heat — charcoal for authenticity, a screaming hot griddle pan at home — for 3-4 minutes per side for medium-rare to medium. The outside must be well charred.
Rest the steak for 5 minutes. Collect any resting juices.
Slice the steak against the grain into thin strips.
While the steak is still warm, combine fish sauce, lime juice, chilli flakes, and resting juices in a bowl. Add sliced steak and toss to coat.
Add toasted rice powder, shallots, and spring onions. Toss.
Add fresh mint and coriander at the last moment before serving. Toss gently.
Taste and adjust — the salad should be aggressively sour, quite salty, spicy, and deeply beefy. Serve immediately.

Notes

Cook the beef to medium-rare at most. Well-done beef in Nam Tok is tough and loses most of its appeal.
The resting juices from the beef are an important flavour component — collect every drop and add to the dressing.
Add herbs at the very last moment — they wilt within minutes in the acidic dressing.
Toasted rice powder is the defining ingredient. Make a large batch — it keeps for months in an airtight container at room temperature.
Dried bird’s eye chilli flakes (prik bon) are more aromatic and have a different heat profile than regular dried chilli flakes. Available at Asian grocery stores.

Storage

Nam Tok should be eaten immediately after assembly. The lime juice continues to cook the beef and the herbs wilt rapidly. The dressed beef without herbs can be stored for 1 day in the fridge. Add fresh herbs and adjust seasoning before serving.

Serving Tips

Serve immediately on a plate with sticky rice for scooping. Raw vegetables — cucumber, long beans, raw cabbage wedges — alongside provide refreshing contrast. A cold Singha lager cuts through the richness of the beef and complements the lime and chilli perfectly.