Crying Tiger Steak & Nam Jim Jaew (Spicy Thai Grilling Sauce)

Quick Summary: Crying Tiger Steak is a popular Northeastern Thailand / Isan dish where grilled steak is served with Nam Jim Jaew—a spicy, herbaceous, umami-packed Thai dipping sauce. This bright, fresh condiment helps balance fatty cuts of grilled meat and acts as the ultimate Swiss army knife of dipping sauces.

Why You Need Nam Jim Jaew in Your Life

Nam Jim Jaew is easily in my top 5 condiments of all time. Think of it as the spicy Thai cousin to chimichurri—any grilled (or even fried) meat you would consider applying chimichurri to can substitute this sauce.

Of course, there’s traditional Crying Tiger Steak, but it could easily be Crying Tiger Smoked Chicken, Crying Tiger shrimp, Crying Tiger Smoked Pork Belly, or Crying Tiger Lamb Chops. You get the picture. For this recipe, I like to use flank steak, sirloin, ribeye, or even NY strip steaks.

Saved You a Click: The Crying Tiger "Secret"

Some of you may have stumbled across this post searching for a Crying Tiger Steak recipe. I’ll save you some time if that’s what you’re looking for. It’s three steps:

1. Marinate Steak.
2. Grill Steak.
3. Dip steak in Nam Jim Jaew dipping sauce.

Done. Saved you a click. The sauce is the main event, but if you want to prep your beef the authentic way before hitting the grill, here is the classic Thai marinade secret.

The Classic 3-Ingredient Thai Steak Marinade

While a simple salt-and-pepper seasoning on a high-grade steak works great, authentic Crying Tiger Steak usually gets a quick 30-minute bath in a savory, umami-rich marinade before hitting hot coals or a smoking-hot cast iron skillet:

• 2 tablespoon Oyster Sauce: Adds deep savory richness and helps build a gorgeous caramelized crust on the exterior.
• 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce or Golden Mountain Sauce: For that essential salt and depth.
• 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1 tsp Crushed Garlic

Coat your steak (flank, sirloin, or ribeye), let it rest at room temp for 30 minutes, then sear over high heat to medium-rare. Slice thin against the grain, and you're ready for dipping.

Put That Sh*t on Everything

While it’s absolutely delicious on steak, and I frequently use it over chimichurri, in reality it’s so much more than a condiment for beef. Like the Frank’s Red Hot commercials say, "I put that sh*t on everything."

• Chicken Wings? Get in my belly!
• Pork Belly Steamed Buns? Skip the hoisin and sriracha and slather some of this on that bad boy.
• Grilled Fish? Yes, please!

Enough yappin’—let’s make it happen.

Key Ingredients & Pro Tips

Before we jump in, a few crucial notes on handling these traditional ingredients:

• Toasted Sticky Rice Powder (Khao Khua): In a dry pan, toast uncooked sticky rice until it’s golden brown. The rice powder adds a nutty flavor note and acts as a natural thickener.
• Culantro vs. Cilantro: If you want to go 100% authentic Isan-style, traditional recipes use Culantro (sawtooth coriander) rather than regular cilantro. Culantro has a much stronger, punchier coriander flavor that holds up amazingly well to the heat and acid. The catch? It can be difficult to find at a standard grocery store. You’ll likely need to track down a local Asian or Hispanic market (where it's often labeled as recao). If you can't find it, don't sweat it—standard fresh cilantro works great as an accessible substitute.
• Palm Sugar (Crucial Tip): Palm sugar generally comes in a hard block or small domes shaped like half a golf ball. To help it dissolve, chop and shave it down with a large kitchen knife. WARNING: BE VERY CAREFUL WITH THIS STEP. A dull knife + lots of pressure = ruined career as a hand model.
  • Resist the urge to toss it into a blender or spice grinder. It has just enough moisture that you’ll end up with large sticky clumps. Trust me—been there, done that.
• Tamarind Concentrate: If you’re using a block of tamarind concentrate, dissolve it in a little hot water and strain out the large seeds. Your paste should be the rough consistency of applesauce.
• Chile Flakes: If you have whole dried Thai chiles, grind them up to the consistency of regular red pepper flakes. If you can’t find dried Thai chiles, standard red pepper flakes make a good substitute—just know they aren't as hot, so adjust accordingly.

The Heat Scale

Speaking of heat level, how much to add is all going to come down to personal preference. I like my sauce hot. If there’s no sweat on my brow and a little snot dripping out of my nose, it needs more heat. Here is my heat scale guide depending on how much dried chile you use:

• 0 tablespoon (Non-Spicy): Mayo is spicy enough for me.
• ½ tablespoon (Mild): Just a warmup round.
• 1 tablespoon (Medium): Noticeable kick.
• 2 tablespoon (Hot): Proper burn.
• 3 tablespoon (Thai Hot): Sweat on the brow & nose dripping.

Pro Tip: Start by adding ½ a tablespoon at a time. If you find eating spicy foods akin to self-flagellation, feel free to leave it out. Taste and keep adding until you reach your desired heat.

Nam Jim Jaew Recipe

Prep & Cooking Info

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: Makes about 1 cup of sauce

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon Fish Sauce
• 2 tablespoon Tamarind Paste Concentrate
• 2 tablespoon Palm Sugar (shaved/chopped)
• 2 tablespoon Lime Juice
• ½ to 3 tablespoon Dried Thai Chili Flakes (to taste)
• 1 tablespoon Uncooked Sticky Rice
• 1 ½ Whole Green Onions (thinly sliced)
• 2 Shallots (thinly sliced)
• 2 tablespoon Chopped Fresh Cilantro (or Culantro if you can find it at your local market)
• ½ tablespoon Fresh Chopped Mint (optional)

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Toast and Grind the Rice: In a dry pan over medium heat, toast the uncooked sticky rice until it’s golden brown. Remove from heat and use a spice grinder, blender, or mortar and pestle to grind the rice into a powder. You don’t have to turn it into talcum powder, but break it up well.
2. Prep the Sugar and Tamarind: Carefully shave down the palm sugar with a large chef's knife. Dissolve your tamarind concentrate in hot water and strain out the seeds so it's the consistency of applesauce.
3. Slice the Aromatics: Slice your shallots and green onions nice and thin. Roughly chop your fresh cilantro (or culantro) and optional mint.
4. Whisk the Base: Combine fish sauce, lime juice, tamarind paste, and palm sugar in a bowl. Whisk until the palm sugar is fully dissolved.
5. Incorporate Rice & Veggies: Add in 1-2 teaspoons of ground rice powder, sliced green onion, and shallot. Stir to incorporate.
6. Add Herbs: Add in your fresh herbs.
7. Bring the Heat & Finish: Add your ground dried Thai chiles (or red pepper flakes) ½ tablespoon at a time, tasting as you go until you reach your desired heat level. Sprinkle the remaining toasted rice powder on top right before serving.

Congrats! You have now created one of the greatest condiments known to man.

Storage & Freshness Notes

Unlike many foods or condiments that tend to meld and develop a better flavor overnight, I find this sauce is at its peak as soon as it’s made. Nam Jim Jaew’s claim to fame is a bright and punchy taste that cuts through fatty cuts of meat, and fresh herbs really start to wane after a day or so. IMO, it’s better to make a fresh batch when you need it.

• Shelf Life: Keeps for 1 week in the fridge.
• Make-Ahead Hack: You can extend the shelf life if you make the sauce minus the fresh herbs and rice powder, only adding them at the time of serving. This keeps the herbs bright and pungent, and prevents the toasted rice from absorbing all the liquid and getting mushy.

The sauce is relatively easy to make, so I generally don’t bother saving it. Most of the time there’s not much left TO save anyway—I’m usually licking the last little bit off the plate. Darn, I’ll have to make a fresh batch.