Crying tiger is northeastern Thailand's answer to steak night: a well-marbled cut marinated in soy, oyster sauce and fish sauce, grilled hard over high heat, then sliced thin and dunked into jaew, a fiercely good dipping sauce of fish sauce, lime, chilli flakes and nutty toasted rice powder.
The name supposedly comes from the sauce being hot enough to make a tiger cry, but the heat is yours to control. The toasted rice powder is the magic ingredient, adding smoky aroma and a little texture to every bite.
It's barely more work than cooking a regular steak, and it turns a barbecue into something special. Serve with sticky rice and crisp vegetables.
