The Older Bolder Life Friday Feast: Thai-Inspired Coconut Steak on a Stick

Though I have to admit we were somewhat late to the realization that Thai-inspired flavors and spices, along with coconut, often play wonderfully with beef, we’ve become big fans of the combination around our camp.

With cooler weather on the horizon we’ll be slipping these Thai-Inspired Slow Roasted Short Ribs and this Coconut Braised Chuck Roast with Gremolata back into the rotation; fall is indeed just around the corner.

Traditionally we’ve always hosted a get together sometime during this upcoming long weekend; ribs have almost always been on the docket for that crowd, though I couldn’t resist putting these on the menu this year.

I happened to run across an amazing deal on some grass-fed rib eyes, but this will work with a number of other cuts; one of the first times I made it recently we used tri-tip and it was damned delicious.

There’s nothing very complex about the recipe, though do note that this works much better with an overnight marinade in the fridge. And the basting sauce is optional, though you’ll need to do something with the remaining coconut milk from the can (other than stir it into your coffee tomorrow), and basting the steak skewers on the grill really does boost the flavor.

My other best suggestion is to make more than you think you and your guests will eat; this one makes a killer lunch the next day over salad or just on it’s own.

2 pounds rib eye, top sirloin, tri-tip, etc, cut into 1-inch cubes

Marinade
1 cup unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk
6 garlic cloves
4-6 red Thai chiles (Fresnos or red jalapeños in a pinch), stemmed, chopped
1.5-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled, rough chop
1/4 cup good fish sauce
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp lemongrass puree
Optional: 1 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)

Optional Basting Sauce
1/2 cup unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk
2 tbsp good fish sauce
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 tsp lemongrass puree (optional)

Add all the marinade ingredients to your trusty blender and puree until smooth and uniform; pour over the prepared steak cubes in a large bowl, stir to make sure every piece is coated, cover and throw in the fridge overnight.

When ready to grill, drain and discard the marinade and thread the meat onto skewers, just touching, not tightly packed.

Fire the grill, and use that remainder of the coconut milk from the can to make the optional basting sauce; stir the ingredients together over low heat until combined, set aside.

Now grill over a medium fire, turning and basting every 2-3 with the basting sauce if using, for 14 to 16 minutes until done to your tastes.

Enjoy.