Incredibly flavorful Thai Beef Salad (Nam Tok) made paleo, gluten-free. This Spicy Thai steak salad comes together in minutes. A great low carb meat salad.
Steak: Marinate steak for at least 1 to 3 hrs or up to 24 hours overnight with ingredients from coconut aminos to white pepper.
Salad Dressing: Prepare Thai chili sauce - Nam Jim Jaew. Set it aside ready to use.
Grill: Drip off the marinade, grill the steak to your desired doneness. Please refer to this steak cooking time chart if you need help with cook time info. After grilled, let the steak rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
In the meantime, in a separate cast iron skillet, preheat it over medium-heat until your palm can feel the warmth when placing it near the surface, about 2-3 inches away.
Swirl 1 tbsp olive oil around the skillet. Add cherry tomatoes and char them with 2-3 small pinches of salt until they are almost blistered, about 2-3 minutes. Shift and move the skillet often for even cooking.
Assemble: In a large salad bowl, toss ingredients from cucumbers to baby greens with 2 pinches of salt and 1 tbsp olive oil. Add-in sliced beef, tomatoes, and drizzle with 2-3 tbsp salad dressing, or more if desired. Toss to combine. Taste and make seasoning adjustments to your personal preference. Serve immediately.
Notes
You can prepare the Thai Chili Sauce up to a day before. Combine with the toasted nut powder before serving. Please see more info in the recipe card.
If the beef is marinated 1-3 hours only, season with salt to taste after grilling. If it’s marinated overnight, you probably won’t need extra salt.
Just like many Thai dishes, there aren’t exact seasoning measurements. Make sure you do some taste testing as you mix the salad together. The predominant flavor should be sour, just salty enough, and spicy to your own liking.