Thai Beef in Cucumber Cups

Makes approximately 24-30 appetizers

Ingredients

Cucumber

  • 2 English cucumbers, sliced into ¾" to 1" pieces

Beef

  • 1 lb tenderloin or flank steak

Marinade

  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, minced

Nuoc Chom Sauce

  • 3 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 ½ tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 minced jalapeño (or ½ red,½ green jalapeño for color variation), minced
  • 1 tbsp minced carrot
  • 1 tbsp minced red pepper
  • 1 ½ tsp minced chive
  • 1 tbsp warm water

How-to

Prepare Cucumber Cups

  1. Peel the cucumbers and cut into 3/4" to 1"
  2. Using a melon ball scoop, form a cavity in the cucumber slices

Prepare the Nuoc Chom

  1. Combine Nuoc Chom ingredients and stir until sugar is dissolved

Prepare the Marinade

  1. Combine marinade ingredients and pour marinade over beef
  2. Marinate for 30 minutes

Grill the Beef

  1. Grill flank steak over medium heat to an internal temperature of 120 degrees (medium rare)
  2. Allow meat to cool.  Once chilled, chop meat to ¼" dice and combine with Nuoc Chom

Assemble

  1. Fill cucumber cups with Thai beef mixture
  2. Garnish with shaved scallion or cilantro leaf