Tirk Prahok Recipe – Cambodian Favorite Steak Sauce
Tirk prahok has been a staple steak sauce in Cambodian cuisine forever. We really love our tirk prahok. Lol 😂 Being able to enjoy different versions of this distinct sauce from different cooks since a kid, I can say they are all delicious in their own way. They could range from very simple few ingredients to ones with very complex process and a long list of ingredients. The one thing that they all got right is The combination of fermented fish, fresh herbs, spices, and eggplant which showcases the rich flavors characteristic of Khmer cooking.
This here is one of my favorite version for steaks and organ meats but it does require a bit more process than some of the simpler recipes.
You’ll need one stalk of lemongrass, a few slices of galanga, a half dozen of kaffir lime leaves, one jalapeno and a couple of sweet peppers (not shown here since i didn’t have any at the time), one bulb of garlic, a couple of khmer eggplants and some radish for that extra crunchy contrast. Bathe the sliced eggplants in cold water so that it doesn’t brown with oxidation.
For mild with no hot peppers for family members who cannot tolerate spicy food, I use one large california chili pod pepper which is not spicy at all and mainly for color and a hint of flavor.
For prahok, I like using a combination of two types of fish, trey gompleang gouramy and trey ros mud fish. But if you could only have one, i would recommend the mud fish which has more fish meat and taste more premium in my opinion. I use one heaping tablespoon of each, totaling 2 heaping tablespoons of prahok. Then, i add equal part hot water and cook the prahok mixture in the microwave with a lid for 30 seconds. Alternatively, you can use the stove. I’ve eaten some that were made with raw prahok, but I much prefer it cooked.
first start by roasting half of the sliced lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves. and the optional red large pepper. Get it toasty but not charred, and set aside. Next, roast the peppers and garlic with a bit of oil until they are softened and slightly charred. The peppers will be for the spicy version.
I have microwaved this prahok mixture. Strain any bone bits and any remaining hard salt.
for the toasted lemongrass galangal, you can use a blender but i prefer the taste when they are manually pounded together with a mortar and pestle. Keep it coarse and not pasty. Then add in the roasted garlic and the peppers. But since I’m also making a mild version too, I’m leaving out the peppers at the moment.
This is the consistency I want, i’m remove half for the second mild sauce. Now I can add the roasted hot peppers and smash them together until semi-pasty.
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon msg
to mix in with the pepper paste and then transfer to a bowl.
add in the prahok mix, straining out any bones
add in the juice of 2 lemons, you may need to add more or less depending on the sourness and amount of juice in each lemon. Lime was often used before but I have a lemon tree that produces these juicy semisweet lemons. If you are using lime, make sure they have enough juice and that none is bitter.
another 1/2 tablespoon of sugar, total 1 tablespoon
1 tablespoon of fish sauce
add in the diced eggplants
radish, lemongrass, and shredded kaffir lime leave.
as always, Taste and adjust to your taste.
last but not least, add in some fresh herbs like culantro (sawtooth corianders), mints, and rau ram (Cambodian or Vietnamese coriander).
For that extra umami taste, I added 1/2 teaspoon of chicken bouillon.
Taste and adjust one last time.
And one last special ingredient, time. Give it some time to chill it in the fridge for an hour or two for the flavors to blend and infuse. For me, I’ve found it to taste even better when chilled.
Store the sauce in an airtight container in the fridge and it usually lasts up to a week. I usually keep a batch of the prahok base without the herbs and eggplant in the freezer and it will last up to a year for quick tirk prahok anytime.
Tirk Prahok Recipe – Cambodian Steak Sauce
Ingredients
- 2-3 tablespoons prahok fermented fish paste
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 bulb garlic
- 1 stalk lemongrass sliced
- 2 tablespoons galanga sliced
- 6 kaffir lime leaves
- 1 jalapeño
- 2 sweet peppers
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon msg
- 2-3 lemons (or lime)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon
- 3 Thai eggplants sliced (quantity to your liking)
- 3 radishes
- Fresh herbs culantro, mint, basil, chopped
Instructions
- Slice the lemongrass, galanga, and kaffir lime leaves and roast them in a pan until lemongrass is brown on the edges. Set aside.
- Roast the garlic and pepper with a teaspoon of oil until they are softened and slightly charred. Set aside to cool.
- Mix prahok with water in a microwave safe bowl with lid for 30 seconds.
- Combine the toasted lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves with the roasted garlic and peppers in a mortar and pestle. Alternatively, you can use a food processor if you prefer, but I like the taste when the ingredients are pounded together.
- Add sugar and msg transfer to a bowl.
- Add the prahok, lemon juice, fish sauce, and chicken bouillon.
- Add eggplant, radish, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves.
- Taste and adjust to taste.
- Chill in the fridge for an hour or two for the flavors to blend and infuse.
- Enjoy your Tirk Prahok with your favorite steak!
