Day: April 20, 2015
Beef Lok Lak
Siem Reap is a beautiful city in northwestern Cambodia, the center of the Khmer region and my first stop after departing Thailand. From the 9th to 15th century, the Khmer Empire built the temples that are now known as the ruins of Angkor. On the first full day in Cambodia, my travel companions and I arose at 4.30am in order to make it to the main temple of Angkor Wat for sunrise. Although a decidedly “touristy” thing to do, the silhouette of the temple, cast against the peach-hombre sky, will stay emblazoned on my mind for some time to come.
Siem Reap also afforded me my first taste of Cambodian cuisine, known colloquially as Khmer food. The cuisine has much in common with other southeast Asian countries and is based primarily on rice, pork, chicken and some beef as well as fish, prawns and even frogs. Coconuts, limes, palm sugar, black pepper, lemongrass, garlic, shallots and chillies provide fragrance and depth of flavour. One of the most readily available dishes of the region, which can be found in restaurants as well as in the home, is Lok Lak. A simple stir fried meat dish, it is served over a salad with a typical lime pepper dressing. This is a great introduction to Khmer cooking as all of the ingredients are readily available at home.
I have adapted the recipe slightly, as I tend not to like hot salads, as the vegetables often wilt and lose their customary crunch. Instead I am simply serving the Lok Lak, slightly cooled, in a hardier gem lettuce leaf cup. This can then be dipped into the lime pepper sauce before being gobbled up. Use your own favourite cut of beef, but remember it is being cooked quickly and must be tender, so a sirloin or something similar works best.
Level: easy
Skills: marinade, stir-frying
Time: 40 minutes
Makes: Serves 4 as a starter
Ingredients
Stir fry:
400g beef, cut into small cubes
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1tsp sugar
1tbsp oyster sauce
1tsp black pepper
3tbsp soy sauce
100-120ml water
1tbsp sugar
1tsp cornflour
Pinch salt
Oil to fry
Lime Pepper Sauce:
4tbsp lime juice, freshly squeezed
2tbsp water
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1tsp sugar
1tsp fish sauce
1tsp freshly crushed black pepper
1 birds eye chilli, thinly sliced
Salt to taste
To serve:
Approx 12 gem lettuce leaves
A small bunch coriander
1 spring onion, sliced
Method
1. Mix together the beef, garlic, sugar, oyster sauce and black pepper. Allow to marinate for a minimum of 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
2. Mix the lime pepper sauce ingredients together, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Set aside.
3. Blend the soy sauce, water, sugar and cornflour together.
4. Arrange the gem lettuce leaves on a large platter.
5. In a frying pan, over a high heat, add 2 tablespoons of oil. When smoking hot, add the beef and quickly stir fry about 30 seconds.
6. Add the soy sauce mixture and allow to boil and reduce to a thick sauce, about 1-2 mins.
7. Spoon some of the beef into each lettuce leaf cup and drizzle over some sauce. Top with fresh coriander and the spring onion.
8. Serve immediately with a bowl of lime pepper sauce for dipping.
Mastication / Destination 