Intro
The Story: We are blessed with our church family, a community of people who love each other, loves food, and fellowships with one another through the different season. This labor day, we got to share this nam jim jaew sauce with some of our favorite people. This is a crowd pleaser, especially when going to a barbecue or when you want to make a beef salad like what we. If you like an acidic sauce like chimichurri, this Thai sauce for you. It cuts through the richness of fatty beef and pork, allowing you to eat more and more. Hans and I are glad we got to bless our community with this little treat. We encourage you make some and bring it to your next house party. Let us know how it goes.
Ingredients
Beef Marinade
Fish sauce: 2 tbsp
Fresh lime juice: 2 tbsp
Tamarind paste / concentrate: 1 tbsp
Palm sugar (or light brown sugar): 1 tbsp
Thai toasted chili powder (or red chili flakes): 2 tsp
You can also use chili oil or bird's-eye chili
Toasted rice powder (khao khua): 1 tbsp
Recipe instructions below.
Shallot (or red onion) finely diced: 1 small
Green onion finely chopped: 1 stalk
Fresh cilantro finely chopped: 1–2 tbsp
Salt: Add to taste
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the Toasted Rice Powder (Khao Khua)
(Skip if using store-bought)
Add 1–2 tbsp of raw glutinous (sticky) rice or jasmine rice to a dry skillet over medium heat.
Toast the dry grains, shaking the pan constantly, for about 5–8 minutes until golden brown and smelling like toasted popcorn.
Let it cool slightly, then grind into a coarse powder using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder.
Step 2: Mix the Base
In a small serving bowl, combine the fish sauce, lime juice, tamarind paste, and sugar.
Stir thoroughly until the sugar fully dissolves.
Step 3: Finish and Serve
Stir in the chili flakes, sliced shallot, green onion, cilantro, and toasted rice powder.
Taste and adjust: add a splash more lime juice for tartness, extra sugar to balance acid, or extra chili flakes for heat.
We suggest: Stir in the toasted rice powder right before serving so it stays crunchy and doesn't absorb all the liquid.
