Sach Ko Ang

Ingredients

The beef

• 700 gbeef sirloin or rump
• sliced thin
• against the grain
• or cut into cubes

The marinade

• 3lemongrass stalks
• tender part only, finely chopped
• 6garlic cloves
• 3cm galangal
• or ginger
• 2 tablespoonsfish sauce
• 1 tablespoonoyster sauce
• 2 tablespoonspalm sugar
• 1 teaspoonground turmeric
• 2 tablespoonsoil
• black pepper

The dip

• juice of 3 limes
• 2 teaspoonsblack pepper
• coarsely ground
• 1 teaspoonsalt
• 1chilli, chopped, optional

To serve

• steamed rice
• pickled vegetables
• fresh herbs
• bamboo skewers, soaked

Directions

1. Peel those away and discard them. Chop the pale centre very finely. Lemongrass fibre never softens at all. Chop it as fine as you possibly can. Use embers rather than flames. Set the grill a little higher up. Turn all the skewers frequently. The beef is sliced thin for a reason.
2. Slice the beef against the grain. Soak the bamboo skewers in water. Give them at least thirty minutes. Slice the beef thin against the grain. Slice it about half a centimetre thick. That cooks through in a minute or two.
3. Freeze the beef for thirty minutes first. Firm meat slices far more thinly. Pound the lemongrass and garlic together. Add the galangal to the mortar. Pound them into a coarse paste. Work at it for several minutes. The fibres must break down properly. Stir in the fish sauce and oyster sauce.
4. Add the palm sugar and turmeric. Grate or chop the palm sugar first. Warm it with a spoonful of water. Rub the marinade over the beef. Two hours is a good minimum here. Thread the beef onto the skewers. Thread thin slices in a loose fold. Do not pack them tightly together.
5. Leave small gaps between the pieces. Wait until it glows under grey ash. That is what the method needs. Set the grill a little higher than usual. About fifteen centimetres is right.
6. Lay the skewers on the hot grill. Thin beef cooks in two or three minutes. Turn them every thirty seconds or so. That prevents the marinade burning. Brush the reserved marinade on as they cook. Stop basting two minutes before the end. Take them off early rather than late. Making the dip is done meanwhile.
7. Mix the lime juice with the pepper. Add the salt and stir it well. It should be sharp, salty and peppery. Make the dip shortly before serving. Do not make it up hours ahead. Serve the skewers straight from the grill. The raw marinated beef keeps a day.

Technique

• Palm sugar in the marinade burns readily and that is the main grilling difficulty — it blackens before the meat cooks. Three things manage it: grill over embers glowing under grey ash rather than flames, set the grill a little higher at about fifteen centimetres, and turn the skewers every thirty seconds. Slicing the beef thin is part of the same logic: it cooks through in two or three minutes, before the sugar can burn.
• The marinade has touched raw beef, so stop basting two minutes before the end to let the last coat cook through, or boil it first — raw marinade brushed on at the very end does not get long enough on the heat.
• Charcoal produces carbon monoxide, which is odourless and genuinely lethal, so burn it outdoors only and never in an enclosed space. Soak bamboo skewers at least thirty minutes, since dry bamboo burns through on the grill.

Substitutions

• Ginger stands in for galangal, being warmer and less sharp — not the same thing at all, but it works acceptably.
• Fish sauce and oyster sauce both go into the marinade and neither is visible in the finished dish; fish and shellfish allergies can be severe, so say clearly what has gone in. The fish sauce also brings all the salt, so no extra is needed.

Variations

• Use only the tender pale lower part of the lemongrass, peeling away the woody outer layers, and pound it to a paste in a mortar rather than chopping — lemongrass fibre never softens, so coarse pieces are unpleasant to chew, and pounding also releases far more aroma.
• Slice the beef against the grain to cut the muscle fibres short, which makes it far more tender, and freeze it thirty minutes first so it firms up and slices thinly — a genuinely useful trick.
• Thread the slices in loose folds with small gaps rather than packing them tight, since packed meat steams and stays pale in the middle. Take them off early rather than late: overcooked thin beef is tough and dry.

History

Grilled from dusk on Phnom Penh street corners and sold with pickled vegetables and a lime-pepper dip.

Frequently asked questions

What is Sach Ko Ang?

Sach Ko Ang is a street food from Cambodia: beef skewers grilled over coals, brushed with lemongrass marinade and eaten with rice. Grilled from dusk on Phnom Penh street corners and sold with pickled vegetables and a lime-pepper dip.

How long does Sach Ko Ang take to make?

Sach Ko Ang takes 30 minutes plus marinating of preparation and 15 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Sach Ko Ang?

Yes, within limits. Ginger stands in for galangal, being warmer and less sharp — not the same thing at all, but it works acceptably. Fish sauce and oyster sauce both go into the marinade and neither is visible in the finished dish; fish and shellfish allergies can be severe, so say clearly what has gone in. The fish sauce also brings all the salt, so no extra is needed.

What is the most important thing to get right in Sach Ko Ang?

Peel those away and discard them. Chop the pale centre very finely. Lemongrass fibre never softens at all. Chop it as fine as you possibly can. Use embers rather than flames. Set the grill a little higher up. Turn all the skewers frequently. The beef is sliced thin for a reason.