Thai Sun Dried Crispy Beef Food

THAI BEEF JERKY

Steps:

• Cut the beef into strips about 4 inches long and 1/2 in wide.
• Place the meat on a large baking sheet, making sure the pieces are spread out and not on top of each other.
• If you want to dry the beef Thai-style, lay the baking sheet outside in direct sun for about 15-40 minutes or so, depending on how hot it is outside and how much sun you have. Dry one side until dry to the touch, and flip it until the other side is dry to the touch.
• Since we live in an apartment with no direct sun, we can't do that! We dehydrate the beef in the oven. For the oven method, place the baking sheet in the oven. Put your oven on its lowest setting, for me it's 220 degrees. But I prop the oven door open a few inches to help lower the temperature even more since really it should dehydrate at around 120 degrees.
• Let the beef dry out for about 25 minutes, and then flip it over to the other side for about 25 minutes or so.
• Once it feels dry-ish, soft and elastic, it will still have some moisture which is fine, take out the beef and marinate the strips in garlic, pepper, coriander, fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar for about 20 minutes.
• Fill a wok or deep pan with about 3 inches of vegetable oil or whatever frying oil you prefer.
• Warm the oil over medium high heat until it starts to bubble if you drop in a bit of beef.
• Fry the beef in small batches, stirring it constantly for about a minute until it starts to turn a deep brown, as shown in the pics.
• Use a wire mesh strainer, or slotted spoon to place the beef on a baking sheet with paper towels.
• To make the dried chili dipping sauce, add all the ingredients to a small bowl. Taste until it reaches your desired flavor profile. I like it more sour and spicy tasting, but if you like it more salty or sweet, go for it. Store in the fridge and use within three days.
• Serve the Thai beef jerky as an appetizer with the dipping sauce, or have it alongside sticky rice with other yummy Thai dishes.

THAI SUN DRIED CRISPY BEEF

Steps:

• Cut steak lengthwise, with grain, in strips 1-2 inches wide and 4-5 inches long.
• Combine lemongrass, chili peppers, garlic, parsley roots, shallots and ginger into a mortar or food processor and grind together, until well mixed.
• Add mixture from last step to a gallon sized zip top freezer bag and add fish sauce, sugar and kaffir lime leaves -- stir to mix in new ingredients.
• Add beef strips and mix well to coat (don't be afraid to get your hands dirty, reach into that bag, it'll be worth it).
• Refrigerate bagged beef mixture overnight.
• Lay beef strips out on a large cookie sheet and heat in the oven on the lowest setting for 5-7 hours, until dried (historically in Thailand, this step was the sun-drying step).
• The dried beef can either be deep fried immediately for a couple minutes to give it a crispy outside (careful not to crowd the oil), or you could refrigerate a portion for frying later that week.
• Serve hot with Sriracha sauce and sticky rice, or steamed jasmine rice.

YANG-YANG CRISPY BEEF

Steps:

• For the beef: Heat a wok over high heat and fill halfway up with peanut oil. Heat the oil to 350 degrees, or until a cube of bread turns golden brown in 15 seconds and floats to the surface.
• Place beef strips in a large bowl and add 2 T. cornstarch. Toss until the beef has absorbed the cornstarch. Add the remaining 1 T. cornstarch right before frying and toss to coat.
• Fry the beef in 2 to 3 batches until golden, 4-5 minutes. Drain on paper towels and season with sea salt.
• For the sauce: Set another wok or saute pan over high heat and add the chili sauce, soy sauce and orange juice. Bring to a simmer and cook until it becomes thickened and coats the back of a spoon, 1-2 minutes. Toss the beef in the sauce to coat thoroughly.
• Serve over a bed of the shredded lettuce and sliced cucumber that has been sprinkled with rice vinegar. Then garnish with the scallions and orange zest.

CRISPY THAI BEEF SALAD WITH GINGER-LIME DRESSING

Steps:

• To make the dressing, whisk together the lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, ginger and sriracha in a small bowl.
• Put the beef in a large bowl and drizzle with 1 tablespoons of the dressing; toss until coated evenly. Spray a nonstick spray on a grill pan or nonstick skillet and set over medium-high heat. Place some of the slices of beel on the grill pan and cook, turning occasionally, until browned and crispy along the edges, about 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining beef, transferring it to a large plate.
• Layer the cabbage, onion, carrots, and mint on a platter; top with the steak and sprinkle with the cilantro and peanuts. Drizzle with remaining sauce.