This is my rendition of a fusiony thai curry dish that I loved to order back in Chicago at Vong's Thai Kitchen (sadly, now closed). It was one of my favorite dishes because it combined spicy Thai elements with satisfying slices of steak. My version is lighter than traditional Thai curries (I don't generally like too much coconut milk) and can easily be made with ingredients available at your local Whole Foods (I usually don't have time to get galangal and kaffir lime leaves at an Asian store). Enjoy!
Ingredients
Skirt steak (seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, and coriander)
Skirt steak (seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, and coriander)
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and diced
1 fistful of cilantro, stems chopped and leaves chopped and set aside for garnish
6 cloves garlic
1 tsp honey
2 stems lemongrass, chopped (only use the fat lighter colored parts)
1 lime, juiced and zested
2 tbs fish sauce
2 ears fresh corn, shucked and sliced from the cobs
2 large shallots, chopped
1 cup frozen edamame (without the shells)
1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in halves
6-7 shitake mushrooms, sliced and sauteed
1-3 Thai bird chilies, sliced
3-4 tbs coconut milk
Salt and pepper
Seafood stock
Jasmine rice, steamed
Steak
Take the steak and rub it with the seasonings listed above. In a medium-high heat pan, sear the steak on both sides until it is slightly firm to the touch (medium rare). Set the steak aside to rest and cover with tin foil.
Curry
In a miniprep or a small blender combine the garlic, shallots, ginger, cilantro stems, lemon grass, lime juice and zest, honey, pinch of salt, pinch of pepper, and fish sauce. Blend the mixture until it becomes a thick paste. Saute the mixture in the same pan used for the steak (you don't need to clean the pan because you want all the brown bits in the sauce) on medium heat. After about 5-7 minutes (or until the sauce is cooked through), add the edamame, mushrooms, tomatoes, and corn. Saute for another 5-7 minutes. While the veggies cook, slice the beef into 1/8-1/4 inch slices and put any of the meat drippings back into the pan. Add the coconut milk and more fish sauce, salt, and pepper to taste. If the curry needs more liquid, add some seafood stock. Turn off the heat and add the chilies.
Plating
Serve the steak on top of the curry sauce with jasmine rice on the side. Garnish with the coarsely chopped cilantro leaves.
