Thai marinated grilled steak with nam jim jaew dipping sauce

Pound black pepper, then garlic, until fine.

Add oyster sauce, soy sauce, lime juice and sugar to taste, then a little oil to coat the beef and carry the fat-soluble flavors.

Use thin steaks; cut the flat iron into three pieces and put it in the marinade.

Marinate at least three hours, ideally overnight.

Let the steak sit at room temperature about an hour.

Grill with the lid open, at 10 o'clock and then turned to 2 o'clock for crosshatch grill marks, marking the thick sides too; check doneness with an instant-read thermometer, about medium.

Rest five to ten minutes.

Grind rice toasted to deep brown with lime leaves into a coarse powder.

Stir two parts tamarind paste, one part fish sauce, one part lime juice and one part palm sugar until the sugar mostly dissolves; adjust to taste.

Add roasted chili flakes to taste, chopped shallots, the toasted rice powder and, at the last minute, cilantro.

Slice the steak thin and serve with the dipping sauce and sticky rice.