Low Carb Crying Tiger Steak is a spicy Thai dish that can be served as a main meal or appetizer. Keto friendly and sugar free recipe.
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Crying Tiger – also known as Weeping Tiger or Suea Rong Hai – is a Thai dish made from beef that has been flavored with spices, grilled rare, and thinly sliced. The curious name is based on local myths:
The ancient Thai culture teaches that life depends on the forest, which is the food source for the people. There are many cows in the forest which are eaten by tigers. People would come across the remains of cows that were hunted down and eaten by the tigers. They personified the tigers as having emotions and feelings like humans. If this was true, they imagined the tigers would have cried because most of them left the brisket cut to rot instead of eating it. People used this cut to cook a delicious dish and named it “crying tiger”.
Alternatively, the name is the imagination of the ancient people that compare the appearance of the brisket cut to the skin of a tiger and called it “tiger meat”. When the meat is grilled, the fat that accumulates in the muscle fibers is melted by the heat and drops like a tear. Using their imagination, they named the dish “crying tiger”.” Source
My version takes the essential flavors of the dish and gives them a low carb makeover! And this dish is SPICY – so beware – it may not be just the tigers that cry!
How to Make Low Carb Crying Tiger Steak
Make the marinade by combining soy sauce (or tamari), fish sauce, olive oil, and lime juice in a sealable bag.
Trim the steaks – I tried to get sirloin but my store was out, so I used new york strip. Add it to the marinade, close the bag, and massage the mixture into the steaks.
Place in the fridge for three hours to marinate. When ready to cook, remove them from the fridge and leave it at room temperature for an hour. Spray a grill pan with non-stick spray and place over a medium heat. Remove the steaks from the marinade and place in the hot pan. Discard the bag and marinade. Cook the steak until done to your liking.
Meanwhile, make the sauce by combining fish sauce, lime juice, low carb brown sweetener (I used golden Lakanto), crushed red pepper flakes, and tamarind concentrate. If you're not familiar with tamarind, it's a sweet and sour tropical fruit with a distinctive taste. It really makes this dish so don't skip it unless you really can't source any. Just check the label as always you need a product without added sugar. The tamarind concentrate I use contains 7g carbs per tablespoon – but it is very strong so I've only used one teaspoon.
Note: The sauce is traditionally served on the side as a dipping sauce. However I decided to combine it with the meat before serving. It is up to you!
When the steaks are cooked, place them on a cutting board and let rest for ten minutes, then thinly slice.
Add the steaks to the sauce, and turn to coat. Serve over cauliflower rice, garnished with fresh cilantro leaves and lime slices.
This recipe makes a fantastic dinner for two, or an appetizer for four. If serving as an appetizer you might prefer to serve it over salad, with the sauce on the side.
Update: If you have leftover tamarind concentrate, try my low carb tamarind dipping sauce or Pork Ribs with Tamarind Glaze!
Low Carb Crying Tiger Steak
Low Carb Crying Tiger Steak is a spicy Thai dish that can be served as a main meal or appetizer. Keto friendly and sugar free recipe.
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 2 tbs soy sauce (or tamari)
- 1 tbs fish sauce
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 tbs lime juice
For the steak
- 2 steaks (eg sirloin or New York strip), trimmed
- non stick spray
For the sauce
- 2 tbs fish sauce
- 2 tbs lime juice
- 1 tbs golden Lakanto (or similar low carb sweetener)
- 2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp tamarind concentrate
To garnish
- cilantro leaves and lime slices
Instructions
- Make the marinade by combining the soy sauce, fish sauce, olive oil, and lime juice in a sealable bag. Add the steaks, close the bag, and massage the mixture into the steaks. Place in the fridge for three hours to marinate.
- When ready to cook, remove them from the fridge and leave it at room temperature for an hour.
- Spray a grill pan with non-stick spray and place over a medium heat. Remove the steaks from the marinade and place in the hot pan. Discard the bag and marinade. Cook the steak until done to your liking.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce by combining the fish sauce, lime juice, golden Lakanto, crushed red pepper flakes, and tamarind concentrate together in a bowl.
- When the steaks are cooked, place them on a cutting board and let rest for ten minutes, then thinly slice.
- Add the steaks to the sauce, and turn to coat.
- Serve over cauliflower rice, garnished with fresh cilantro leaves and lime slices.
Notes
The sauce could be served as a dipping sauce instead of mixed in with the steak.
3.1 g net carbs per serving (half the recipe, not including cauliflower rice).
Nutritional data does not include the marinade ingredients as they have minimal impact.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 2 Serving Size Half the recipeAmount Per Serving Calories 570Total Fat 33gSaturated Fat 13gCholesterol 209mgSodium 1540mgCarbohydrates 3.7gNet Carbohydrates 3.1gFiber 0.6gSugar 1.6gProtein 62g
Recipe adapted from Coriander and Lace