Chilli Basil Steak
Bas’il vous plaît
What is Chilli Basil Steak?
Inspired by the classic Thai Basil Beef (Pad Gra Prow), this recipe uses steak rather than minced beef / pork. There’s more variety of vegetables than traditional in here as well. While the beef and the vegetables are The Chef’s interpretation, the base flavours stay true to authentic Thai cuisine.
You’ll love it if…
You love a good steak and bold, punchy Thai flavours, this is the recipe for you! *Chef’s kiss*
If you’re brave, add more chilli and make it a spicy food challenge for your mates!
This Chilli Basil Steak has BIG flavour. I mean BIG. And powerful. It has flavour so big that if you saw it coming at you on a sports court, you’d chuck the ball and run away. And maybe have a little cry in the showers afterwards.
For that reason, you want big Chilli Basil Steak flavour on your team. You want Chilli Basil Steak to be your friend, because the alternative is way too scary. This recipe puts Chilli Basil Steak on your team.
Thai flavours may pack a punch, but they’re also incredibly delicately balanced. This recipe is no exception. It turns up the fire with a big kick of spice (adjust according to your spice threshold) but it’s tempered with a sour freshness from the lime and fish sauce. There’s the addition of palm sugar that tempers the fire and keeps the acidity in check. The vegetables are cheerful and have a bit of *cronch* to them. The meat is the real star, it’s smoky and succulent set against the basil chilli. A flavour wallop. Serve with plain rice (preferably jasmine long grain but you can use any rice) to really mop everything up. Your tastebuds will need the rest.
Congratulations you have a big Chilli Basil Steak friend!
Cook the steak and prep the vegetables
Cook the steak to your desired doneness.
Stir fry the vegetables
Sauté the vegetables with the stir fry sauce. Turn off the heat, add the basil and the steak.
Serve and Enjoy!
Serve on a bed of rice, and top with a fried egg. Dig in and enjoy! Works great in a lunchbox too.
- You can use pork tenderloin, pork mince or chicken thigh instead of steak, it will be just as good
- I prefer the taste of Italian basil in this recipe, over the traditional Thai Holy Basil – you can use a lot more of it, without it tasting bitter.
- This dish goes great with noodles or rice vermicelli as well.
Chilli Basil Steak
Equipment
- Non stick pan or a heavy cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- Around 250g of any well marbled steak of your choice. Marinate with salt, pepper, & a bit of oil
- Cooked white rice *The Chef's using Jasmine Rice
For the stir fry sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh garlic, crushed
- 1 tablespoon fresh red chilli crushed
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, ground
- 1 tablespoon sugar *The Chef recommends palm sugar / honey / maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- Juice of 1 lime can substitute 1 tablespoon clear vinegar instead
For the stir fry
- 1 cup mixed bell peppers, thinly sliced
- ½ cup onion finely sliced
- 2 medium red tomatoes, cut into quarters
- 1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
- ½ cup green beans thinly sliced
- 1 ½ cups fresh basil leaves *traditionally Thai basil would be used, but the chef recommends Italian basil for more peppery flavour
- 2 tablespoon oil any kind of neutral cooking oil
Garnish / Topping
- Fried sunny side egg
Instructions
- Grill / cook the steak on the pan to your desired doneness and set aside to rest.
- To make the stir fry sauce mix together 2 tablespoons crushed fresh garlic, 1 tablespoon crushed fresh red chilli, 1 teaspoon black pepper powder, 1 tablespoon each of sugar and fish sauce and the juice of 1 lime.
- Heat up the pan until extremely hot and add 2 tablespoons cooking oil along with 1 cup thinly sliced mixed bell peppers, ½ cup finely sliced onion, 2 medium tomatoes quartered, 1 carrot cut into matchsticks and ½ cup of thinly sliced green beans. Sauté the vegetables to coat them with the oil and to prevent them from burning.
- Once the vegetables start sizzling add the stir fry sauce and sauté further until the vegetables are cooked through (5 – 10 mins).
- Turn off the heat and mix through 1½ cups of basil leaves into the stir fry.
- Thinly slice the steaks and mix it into the stir fry as well.
- Top with a fried egg and serve with steamed white rice
Video
FAQ
Can I make this with something other than steak?
Yes you can! This can be made with seafood, chicken, pork or tofu.
Can I make it vegan?
Yes! Substitute the fish sauce for tamari, and use tofu instead of the steak.
I have a low spice tolerance. How do I make this recipe work for me?
Cut down on the red chilli or use sweet paprika powder instead.
Can I freeze this?
Absolutely, you can freeze the cooked stir fry along with the steak. It will last in your freezer for a few months.
