THE EVERYTHING® THAI COOKBOOK (45 page)

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided

2 tablespoons soy sauce

5–7 cloves garlic, crushed

1½ pounds sirloin, trimmed and cut into bite-sized cubes

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon water

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1. In a bowl large enough to hold the beef, combine the sugar, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, soy sauce, and garlic. Add the beef and toss to coat. Cover and let marinate for 30 minutes.
   
2. In a small serving dish, combine the remaining black pepper, the lime juice, and the water; set aside.
   
3. In a large sauté pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef cubes and sauté for 4 minutes for medium-rare.
   
4. This dish may be served either as an appetizer or a main dish. For the appetizer, mound the beef on a plate lined with lettuce leaves with the lime sauce on the side. Use toothpicks or small forks to dip the beef into the lime sauce. For a main dish, toss the beef with the lime sauce to taste. Serve with Jasmine rice.
   

4 dried Thai bird chilies, stemmed and seeded

1 cup boiling water

4 tablespoons sweet paprika

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 cups Lemongrass Curry Sauce (recipe follows)

1. Break the dried chilies into pieces and place them in a small bowl. Cover with the boiling water and let sit until soft, about 15 minutes.
   
2. Place the chilies, their steeping water, and the paprika in a blender. Process to form a thin paste.
   
3. Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a wok. Add the chili paste and stir-fry until it begins to darken. Remove from heat and set aside.
   
4. Place the Lemongrass Curry Sauce in a medium-sized saucepan. Stir in half of the chili paste and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Check the flavor of the sauce, adding more chili paste if needed.
   

cup chopped lemongrass, inner core only

4–5 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon minced ginger

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 jalapeño chili, stemmed and seeded

3 small shallots, coarsely chopped

3 (14-ounce) cans coconut milk

3 (2-inch-long, ½-inch wide) pieces lime peel

¼ teaspoon salt

1. Place the lemongrass, garlic, ginger, turmeric, chili, and shallots in a food processor; process to form a paste.
   
2. Bring the coconut milk to a boil and add the lemongrass paste, lime peel, and salt. Reduce heat and let simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. Remove the lime peel.
   

1 cup sliced carrots

1 large green pepper, seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon grated ginger

1 cup water, divided

4 cups broccoli

6 green onions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths

1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice

¼ cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup fresh pineapple chunks

1. Place the carrots, onion, green pepper, garlic, and ginger in a large saucepan with ½ cup of the water. Bring the water to a boil and let cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
   
2. Add the broccoli, green onions, and the remaining ½ cup of water. Bring the water to a boil; reduce the heat, cover, and let simmer for 5 minutes.
   
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, thoroughly combine the pineapple juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, and cornstarch.
   
4. Add the pineapple juice mixture and the pineapple chunks to the wok. Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens.
   

2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided

4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into thin slices

1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces

3 cups broccoli pieces

3 cups thinly sliced red cabbage

½ cup vegetable broth

Salt and pepper to taste

3–4 tablespoons chopped mint

1. In a large skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the carrot slices, onion, and bell pepper; sauté for 5 minutes.
   
2. Add the remaining teaspoon of oil, the broccoli, the cabbage, and the vegetable broth. Continue to sauté until the vegetables are done to your liking, about 10 minutes for tender-crisp.
   
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the chopped mint.
   

1¼ cups minced shrimp

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon white pepper

1 red chili, seeded and finely minced (optional)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

8 (4-inch) pieces sugarcane Sweet-and-sour or other favorite dipping sauce

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
   
2. Place the shrimp, salt, sugar, white pepper, and chili in a food processor; process until smooth.
   
3. Drizzle in 1 to 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil. Process the shrimp mixture until it reaches the consistency necessary to make a meatball, using more or less oil.
   
4. Divide the shrimp mixture into 4 equal parts.
   
5. Using your hands, mold a “shrimp ball” around the center of each of the sugarcane pieces.
   
6. Place the “skewers” on a baking sheet and roast for approximately 20 minutes. If you prefer them a bit more browned, broil them (after they are done baking) until the desired color is reached.
   
7. To serve, spoon some of the sweet-and-sour sauce into the middle of 4 plates. Place the sugarcane “skewer” on top of the sauce.
   

1 pound lean ground pork

6 large water chestnuts, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 green onion, trimmed and minced

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1¼ teaspoons lemon juice

1 (½-inch) piece ginger, peeled and minced

¼ teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon Chinese hot chili oil

teaspoon salt

12 bamboo skewers, soaked in water

12 Boston or leaf lettuce leaves

½ cup chopped cilantro

½ cup chopped mint

½ cup chopped basil

½ cup soy sauce

5 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons water

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (1-inch) piece ginger, minced

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon oyster sauce

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1. To prepare the pork: In a large bowl, use your hands to thoroughly combine the ground pork, water chestnuts, garlic, green onion, soy sauce, vegetable oil, lemon juice, ginger, sugar, chili oil, and salt.
   
2. Divide the mixture into 12 portions. Shape each portion into a cylinder about 3 inches by 1 inch. Carefully insert a bamboo skewer through each cylinder lengthwise. Set aside.
   
3. Place the lettuce leaves, cilantro, mint, and basil in 4 separate serving bowls. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
   
4. To prepare the dipping sauce: In a small saucepan combine all the sauce ingredients. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and let cool.
   
5. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill. Place the skewers in a grill basket, making sure they are firmly held but not squashed. Grill the skewers until the pork is cooked through and the outside is crispy, about 10 to 15 minutes, turning the basket frequently.
   
6. To serve, pour each guest some of the dipping sauce into a small individual bowl. Place the bowls of cilantro, mint, and basil in the middle of the table. Place 2 lettuce leaves and 2 pork skewers on each guest's plate.
   
7. To assemble, have each guest slide the pork from the skewer onto a lettuce leaf. Sprinkle the pork with some of the herbs to taste. Roll the lettuce around the pork and dip in the sauce.