Crying Tiger Buttered Steak Recipe
Crying Tiger Buttered Steak is a flavorful Thai-inspired dish featuring perfectly seared rib eye steaks basted with a unique, aromatic butter infused with toasted glutinous rice, tamarind, fish sauce, and chili flakes. Served with classic sides like mashed potato and blanched green beans, this recipe combines rich, savory, and tangy flavors for an indulgent yet elegant meal.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients
Scale
Steak and Sides
- 2 x 200g (7 oz) rib eye/rib fillet steaks (or any other steak cut you prefer)
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- Blanched green beans, to serve
- Mashed potato, to serve
Crying Tiger Butter
- 2 tsp raw glutinous rice (also known as sticky rice)
- 1 tbsp tamarind concentrate
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp chilli flakes
- 1 small red shallot, sliced into fine wedges
- 2 tsp finely chopped coriander (cilantro)
- 250g (9 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
Instructions
- Prepare the steak: Take the steaks out of the fridge an hour before cooking. Season generously with salt and leave at room temperature to ensure even cooking.
- Make the crying tiger butter: Toast the raw glutinous rice in a dry frying pan over high heat until golden brown and fragrant, resembling popcorn. Grind the toasted rice into a fine powder using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. In a bowl, mix tamarind concentrate, fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, chili flakes, and the toasted rice powder until well combined. Stir in the thinly sliced shallot and chopped coriander. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl, add the softened unsalted butter, and mix thoroughly. Shape the butter mixture into a log using cling film and refrigerate for 20 minutes until firm.
- Sear the steaks: Heat a large heavy-based frying pan (preferably carbon steel) over high heat. Add the vegetable oil once hot. Pat the steaks dry with paper towels to ensure a good sear, then add them to the pan. Sear each side for 2 minutes to develop a flavorful crust.
- Baste with crying tiger butter: Reduce the heat to medium. Add two thick slices (about 1 cm each) of the prepared crying tiger butter to the pan. Use a spoon to baste the steaks continuously with the melted butter for 1 minute per side to infuse rich flavors and keep them juicy. Remove the steaks from the pan and let them rest on a plate for 5 minutes to retain their juices.
- Serve: Slice the rested steaks and plate alongside mashed potatoes and blanched green beans. Add little dollops of extra cold crying tiger butter on top and drizzle any remaining pan juices or warm butter over the steaks for extra indulgence.
Notes
- Allowing the steak to come to room temperature before cooking helps it cook evenly.
- Toasting and grinding the glutinous rice is key to achieving the signature nutty flavor in the butter.
- Adjust chili flakes quantity to control the spice level in the butter.
- Resting the steak after cooking is essential for juicy, tender results.
- Use unsalted butter to better control the saltiness of the dish.
Keywords: steak recipe, crying tiger butter, Thai steak, rib eye steak, buttered steak, seared steak, pan-seared steak, spicy butter, tamarind steak, fish sauce steak
Find it online: https://zarameals.com/crying-tiger-buttered-steak-recipe/
