Spicy Green Apple Salad (ยำแอบเปิ้ล)


thai salad
I made this impromptu salad the other day as the topping for a piece of pan-fried halibut. It was nothing special — just a simple salad that is normally made with grated green mangoes. Actually, I think I’ve come to like this version made with tart and crisp Granny Smith apples much more.

It’s the crunch. I like the crunch. Continue Reading →

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Fermented Beef Short Ribs (แหนมซี่โครงเนื้อ)



This dish could have been relegated to one of the posts in the remix category. But that seems unfair to these tender, crispy, fatty, sour, garlicky short ribs. Something this good deserves its own post.

Preparing beef short ribs this way isn’t common in Thai cooking, and I kind of surprised myself as I picked up some beautiful beef short ribs from the butcher when the first thought that came to me was that I should ferment them. But with the experiment ending up so well, this has officially been filed under ‘Things to Make Every Month.’

All you have to do is follow the instructions in my earlier post on soured pork ribs, substituting beef short ribs for pork rib tips. After the fermentation, wash off all the garlic and rice bits, simmer the short ribs in a pot of water (just enough to cover the ribs) for about one to one and a half hours to tenderize them. (To keep the meat on the bones, simmer gently and don’t stir them around too much). Then fish the tender ribs out of the liquid and sear them in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until the exteriors are crispy and golden brown.

[Added: November 7th, 2011 – Since then I have found that the best way to cook the fermented short ribs is to cook them sous vide then sear them crisp before serving. Cooking the ribs sous vide allows them to get tender without the fermented flavor leaching out into the cooking liquid. Another good way to tenderize the ribs without losing the fermented tang is to braise them long and slow in the oven with just enough water to cover them. Cover the pan with a piece of foil the entire time, then remove it toward the end to allow the liquid to evaporate and form a sticky “sauce” coating the ribs.]

The end result will somewhat remind you of the Italian porchetta or Mexican carnitas — albeit beefy and with the fermented tang. This is perfect eaten with warm jasmine rice or sticky rice.

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Thai Spicy Mixed Vegetable Soup – Kaeng Liang (แกงเลียง)



1940 was unkind to many around the globe. It was the year Italy declared war on France, Germany invaded the Low Countries, and the Battle of Britain began. Things weren’t entirely calm and normal in their neck of the woods either. But having heard of what happened to Jews across Europe and how much of the world was starting to live under food rationing, the young newlyweds were thankful for what they had.

There was still a thriving vegetable garden in their little yard. The chickens still laid eggs daily. Sure, they were living in a small army house in the North of Bangkok – a house they didn’t even own. She’d just quit her teaching job to start a family, and he was earning a meager junior officer salary. But they were happy.

Life would be tough, and they’d known that going in. But that’s the price you pay for having married against your parents’ will and for being too proud to ask for help.

But they had their love. They had their health. They had each other. And that was enough. Continue Reading →

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