SE ASIA: Sien Savanh

Sien Savanh is Lao Beef Jerky! MmMmMm Good! In Laos, thin strips of meat are strung onto a bamboo string and then dried in the sun. Well, I cut out the sun and the bamboo and used a dehydrator! Here's how I did it:

Ingredients:

• 1 pound beef flank steak (I used venison)*-thinly sliced into long strips
• 4 cloves of garlic *-crushed then diced
• 1 small knuckle of ginger *-chopped and ground into paste
• 6 tablespoons soy sauce
• huge handful of sesame seeds
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• a few pinches of salt
• 3 tablespoons fresh ground black pepper

In a pan add all the ingredients, mix well, and marinate in the fridge overnight. If you have a dehydrator then use this - otherwise dry in the sun for an entire day (turn strips once to get both sides). ENJOY! These are really good when dipped into the Jaew Mak Len.

SE ASIA: Beef Laap

LAAP. So so so delicious. It was tough to pick which was my favorite food I had abroad: beef laap or jaew mak len -- in the end, they pretty much tied. Laap is the national dish of Laos. It is done with beef, chicken and occassionally with fish. Basically, a meat is sauteed and then finished off with fresh herbs, lime juice, chilis and fish sauce. Every little restaurant you will go to will have their own style of Laap -- just like Italians with their pasta sauce. I had some really tragic Laap, and I had some really epic Laap -- but I assure you that this recipe I came up with is EPIC.

Ingredients:

10 ounces lean ground beef

1/2 cup lime juice

3 tablespoons fish sauce

2-3 thinly sliced shallots

1 tablespoon (or more, to your taste!) dried chili

2 teaspoons palm sugar (or brown sugar)

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/3 cup diced green onion

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint

1/3 cup chopped fresh thai basil

Cook the ground beef at a medium heat. In a bowl combine lime juice, fish sauce, chili and sugar. Add in the cooked ground beef and now mix in mint, shallots, green onion, cilantro, and thai basil. *Many places serve this on a bed of lettuce, so I recommend a delicious way to eat it is to spoon the meat into leaves of lettuce (like meat into a tortilla) and enjoy :)