Getting to Know Yum Nua
Thai food is known for its bold combination of sweet, sour, spicy and salty. At the center of this chaos is Yum Nua, a spicy sirloin salad that takes ordinary ingredients and makes them extraordinary. Sirloin is the perfect cut for this dish because with its hearty texture and robust flavor, it absorbs the spicy dressing and compliments the crunchy vegetables.
If you love this combination of flavors, get your taste buds ready for a wild ride! Yum Nua is a bright and beautiful mix of flavors that is just as nutritious as it is exciting. You can prepare the dish for a weeknight meal or shock and awe your guests when you serve them this impressive Cambodian meal. Each bite is truly Thailand on a plate.
Servings and Time Requirements
This recipe feeds four, ideal for a small group or meal prep for lunches for the week. The recipe duration of 20 minutes should yield you plenty of time for clean up and assembly. The beef sirloin will take only 10 minutes to make, so this complex dish can be prepared very quickly. You will be beginning and finishing in 30 minutes, perfect for the adventurous eater that does not have hours to devote to cooking.
🥢 Ingredients :
What you will need to make Yum Nua
The ingredients harmonize freshness and punch to create a symphony of textures. Every ingredient plays an important part, from the supple sirloin, to the delicious dressing. Utilizing fresh ingredients will maximize the color and taste!
✅ 1 lb sirloin steak, preferably grass fed
✅ 2 cups baby greens (lettuce, arugula or watercress would all be lovely)
✅ 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced;
✅ 1 small red onion, sliced paper thin
✅ 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
✅ ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
✅ ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, torn
✅ 2 tbsp fish sauce
✅ 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
✅ 1 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
✅ 2-3 Thai chilies, finely slivered (or to taste)
✅ 1 clove garlic, minced
✅ 1 tbsp toasted rice powder (optional, just to add a bit of texture)
✅ 1 tbsp vegetable oil (for cooking)
👨🍳 Step-By-Step Instructions :
Prepping the Sirloin
Begin with a quality sirloin steak seasoned to perfection. I prefer to pat the steak dry to ensure a good sear. Heat your pan at medium-high heat with a small drizzle of vegetable oil. Sear the sirloin for 3-4 minutes on each side or until you get a good caramelized crust for desired medium-rare doneness. Allow your steak to rest for 5 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain for maximum juiciness and a better overall flavor from the dressing since the meat will meld with the dressing.
Making the Dressing
In a small bowl, combine fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar, minced garlic and chopped Thai chilies by whisking constantly. I am looking for a sour, sweet and spicy balance in each bite with the dressing. Taste and adjust by adding more sugar or lime if necessary to get the desired flavor of your dressing that will jazz up your sirloin and vegetables.
Assembling the Salad
In a large bowl, add mixed greens, cucumber, red onion, cherry tomato, cilantro and mint and toss it together. When you add the sliced sirloin do not added and toss at the same time – layer it in so that you everything – or, at least, most – has a touch of everything. Drizzle the dressing over the top and toss.
Final Serving
Serve immediately on a large platter to allow the colors to really pop. Garnish with extra cilantro or mint for style! Serve with jasmine rice or on its own for a lighter meal. The rich sirloin with the light, bright salad creates a beautiful contrast visually and in flavor!
💡 Cooking Tips for Success:
Choosing Quality Sirloin
Look for well-marbled sirloin at your local butcher. Grass-fed varieties tend to have a deeper flavor and are better for the authenticity of the meal. Let the steak come to room temperature before cooking, it will give a more even sear.
Managing Your Spice Levels
Thai chilies are hot!! Start with one or two, then taste and add more if needed. If some people in the group are less tolerant of heat, use less hot peppers like serrano. The robust sirloin can stand up to a lot of heat, but you want to achieve balance.
Improving Texture and Taste
Toasted rice powder provides a distinct crunch to the dish. You make toasted rice powder by toasting sticky rice in a dry pan until golden brown and then grinding finely. Fresh herbs are not optional; they add freshness and vibrance to the dish. If you want to add some more flavor and complexity, consider adding a tiny splash of lemongrass in the dressing.
📊Nutrition Information (per serving)
For the four servings of Yum Nua you will receive a well-balanced nutritional profile for any health-conscious diners:
Calories: 250 kcal
Total Fat: 12g
Saturated Fat: 4g
Cholesterol: 60mg
Sodium: 800mg
Total Carbohydrate: 10g
Dietary Fiber: 2g
Sugars: 5g
Protein: 25g
You can see that, you are getting plenty of protein with the sirloin, moderate fat, and low carbohydrate value. There are vitamins in the fresh veg and herbs, which add to the whole food feeling and virtue. It is a rich dish but also very healthy!
Understanding Yum Nua
Yum Nua recounts the Thai culinary culture’s delineation of conflicting but complementary flavors. It takes the traditional dressing of a salpa, which is a spicy sirloin salad rooted in Thailand’s Northeast Isaan region. The plate holds oozing tender sirloin with a vibrant dressing made of fish sauce, lime, and chilies. Apart from cultural significance, this dish is simple food made from simple ingredients, yet volume of flavors – food turned into devices for tasting.
The sirloin is thinly sliced and soaked up the flavor from the dressing, with a mix of crisp vegetables and fragrant herbs like cilantro and mint. Each proffering provides layers of texture: the chew from meat; the crunch of cucumber; and the burst of tomatoes. Yum Nua is very flexible—and can be filled with variety—for a quick lunch or large spread at a party. You could adapt the flavors of the dish to medium, hot or extra spicy or in-between for a favorite at a gathering.
It looks great on the plate and is nutrient dense, Son, what is there not to love about this? It will remind you of the dinner table and help you connect with the history of food while tasting a part of the world. You can have it with sticky rice or on its own, (I’d use sticky rice to help with the zing and fire the dressing ‘brings’) and I would expect there would be some diners wanting to eat another forkful.
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