Nua pad prik, or chile beef, is a delightfully easy Thai beef dish with a bracing yet refreshing heat from the fresh chiles. You can regulate the heat to your liking by adjusting the ratio of hot chiles to bell peppers.
Ingredients
- Beef fillet or tenderloin, partially frozen, then sliced into thin strips — 1 pound
- Garlic, minced — 2 or 3 cloves
- Salt and pepper — to taste
- Fish sauce — 2 tablespoons
- Oyster sauce (optional) — 1 tablespoon
- Brown or palm sugar — 2 teaspoons
- Oil — 1/4 cup
- Thai or jalapeño chiles, minced — 2 or 3
- Red bell pepper, sliced very thinly — 1
Method
- In a large bowl, mix the beef with the garlic, salt and pepper and set aside to marinate for at least 15 minutes.
- Mix together the fish sauce, oyster sauce and brown sugar together in a small bowl to form a sauce. Add a little water if needed and set aside.
- Heat the oil over high flame in a wok or deep skillet. Add the chiles and red pepper and stir fry rapidly for about 30 seconds.
- Add the beef and its marinade and stir fry rapidly for another 1-2 minutes, or until the beef is just cooked through.
- Reduce heat to low, add the sauce ingredients and toss to coat the beef. Remove from heat and serve hot with jasmine rice.
Thai Pepper Beef Variations
- Gai Pad Prik: Substitute chicken for the beef.
- A handful of chopped cilantro or holy basil can be tossed in the dish at the end for added flavor.
