Serves: 8-10
This is a really special Laos style meat dish that is made into a pizza. Here the sauce and meat may be prepared up to three days in advance. Leaving a super fast balanced meal on weekdays to savour and enjoy.
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Baking time: 10-15 minutes
Ingredients:
Ginger-Marinated beef
2 Tbsps oyster sauce
2 Tbsps fish sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 clove garlic, chopped finely
40g ginger, peeled & ground finely
15g lemongrass, finely ground
1 Tbsp oil
200g beef tenderloin, cut into 3cm chunks
½ tsp corn flour
extra cooking oil, for pan-frying
Smoky Lao Sauce
200g tomatoes, roasted over fire
3 stalks bird’s eye chillies [5g]; de-stemmed and charred (adjust based on your spice threshold)
3 Tbsps fish sauce to taste
10g palm sugar or to taste
5g [1 stalk] cilantro, chopped
1-sprig spring onions, sliced
3 pcs 10” round pizza base, store-bought
basil leaves for topping
Fresh tomatoes, sliced
100g mozzarella cheese, for topping
Method:
To prepare beef:
1. Using an electric blender, finely grind all the ingredients, except beef adding a little water to move the blades.
2. Marinade the beef for at least 10 minutes.
3. Cook the beef and all its marinade in a pan, until tender and sauce sticks to the meat.
4. Once cooked and slightly cooled, cut beef into bite-sized slices
To prepare sauce:
* Secret Tip: Charring the vegetables for this sauce is the key to unlocking its smoky flavor
1. Places the tomatoes on a rack over the fire and roast for about one to two minutes before turning over.
2. Char the birds eye chilly turning once, for about one minute and let it cool.
3. Transfer birds eye chilly and peeled tomatoes to an electric blender; finely grind.
4. Transfer sauce to a saucepan; adding fish sauce and sugar, simmer for five minutes or until slightly thick, stir in chopped cilantro and spring onions. Sauce can be prepared up to three days in advance, stored in a container in the refrigerator.
Assembling your Lao-style Pizza:
1. Pre-heat oven at 180 degree Celsius, grease a tray and place the pizza base over.
2. Spoon Lao tomato sauce onto the pizza, spreading evenly to coat and form a layer.
3. Top each pizza with slices of tomatoes, basil leaf and slices of beef with its sauce.
4. Lastly, sprinkle cheese over and bake in pre-heated oven for 10-15 minutes or until pizza is crispy.
5. Serve immediately.
With more than 10 years experience in the food industry, Debbie is a true-bred Nyonya who hails from Malacca. She is the author of numerous cookbooks, including “UNDERWRAPS” by Marshall Cavendish Cuisine and “Penang Food Guide & Cookbook” and “Nyonya Flavours” by Star Publications. Debbie develops and tests recipes for companies, and contributes to magazines. She is also a Nyonya food consultant for Tourism Malaysia.
For more recipes, check out our recipe section.
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