Weeping Tiger, Hungry Dragon
Today I just want to bring attention to this awesome dish that you should try or at least know about. It's so simple to cook that even I might be able to make it. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being super extreme and 1 being super easy, this is like a 2. It's called Seua Rong Hai, a classic Thai dish. The literal English translation is "Tiger's Tears" or "Weeping/Crying Tiger". Honestly, one of the main reasons why I'm writing this post is because the dish has a really badass name so I wanted to learn more about it. Also, I wanted to clarify that it's not made out of tiger.
It's made out of beef. It turns out that people aren't too sure why it's called Weeping Tiger. Some people say that the tiger is crying because the hunter took its cow. Others propose that the tiger is crying because the dish uses the most tender cut of the cow leaving the tiger with all the tough parts. Another myth is that the dish is so delicious that it is enough to make a tiger cry tears of happiness. I like to believe in the last one because sad, hungry tigers will eat you and happy tigers might not eat you.
Weeping Tiger is a Thai marinated beef. Marinade the sirloin steak with fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ground coriander seed, and black pepper for about 20 minutes. The marinade gives the beef a nice concoction of flavors: salty, sweet, spicy, and sour. While the steak marinades, make a sauce consisting of fish sauce, sugar, lemon juice, coriander leaves, chili, and finely chopped tomatoes. Then, broil the steak for 3-5 minutes on each side so that the steak is still pink in the middle. BOOM. DONE.
Slice thinly and serve. To me, the dish feels very refreshing with all the different flavors, as in it's not just all spicy or not just all salty. It's understandable that the Weeping Tiger is usually paired with a salad drizzled with more of the marinade flavors and some lime juice. Personally, I'd like to see the Weeping Tiger paired with a chilled Som Tam, a.k.a. Thai green papaya salad, to reinforce the refreshing, zingy taste. YES. Best dish of Summer 2014. I know it.
Okay. I tried really hard to find you some places in New York where you can try this dish but I had some trouble. It's hard to find the Weeping Tiger on its own. Usually you'll see it as part of a salad.
Here's a few restaurants I found that serve the dish:
Song Kran: This restaurant serves it but they use flank steak so expect a tougher cut.
Khao Sarn: This one serves it under "Tiger Tears" but it's in Brooklyn.
On the bright side, check out these recipes below and hopefully you'll decide to make it yourself:
About.com or UKTV: Both similar recipes. Use alternative recipe if you need clarification.
Food.com: Uses toasted rice for the chili sauce. Could be interesting.
Eating Isn't Cheating: Recipe with accompanying Coconut Jasmine rice. Perfect match.