Grilling: Thai Beef Rolls with Sweet Chili Sauce Recipe
I’m known for going a little overboard with the food when I grill–actually, make that a lot overboard–leaving my guests little incentive to make their own. I need to learn to cut back, because when people do come with their own creations, they tend to be eye-opening, like a Thai basil wrapped beef that graced my grill recently.
I started recreating this dish by mixing ground chuck with spicy Thai chilies, fish sauce, sugar, mint, and green onion. Then I formed the meat into small logs, wrapped each one in a Thai basil leaf, threaded them on skewers, and put them to the heat. The finished product’s beauty was on par with its taste, which had all the heavenly flavors I equate with Thai cuisine. Give them a quick dunk in simple Thai dipping sauce, and they’re all the better.
- For the sauce:
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon thinly sliced green onions
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons Sriracha
- For the filling:
- 1 pound ground chuck (80% lean)
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped Thai chilis
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bunch of Thai basil
- 12 wooden skewers, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes
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Mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl until the sugar has dissolved.
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In a large bowl, gently combine the ground chuck with the rest of the filling ingredients.
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Shape a tablespoon of the filling into a small log. Wrap 1 basil leaf around the beef and thread onto a skewer. Repeat until all of the filling is gone.
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Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread coals out evenly over the charcoal grate.
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Clean and oil the cooking grate. Grill the rolls until the filling is fully cooked and slightly firm, about 6 to 8 minutes, turning once during cooking. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce.