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Isan Thai Ribeye with Cucumber Jaew

A fast Isan Thai–inspired stove-seared ribeye with toasted rice chile-lime dipping sauce, cooling cucumber herb salad, and jasmine rice for a bright summer WA dinner.

Generated image of the dish

Ingredients

  • Choice Bone-in Ribeye Beef Steak
    1 lb, about 1 bone-in steak $11.99
  • English Cucumber
    1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced $1.50
  • Kroger® Jasmine Rice
    2/3 cup rice, plus 1 tablespoon for toasted rice powder $3.69
  • Green Onions
    2 green onions, thinly sliced $1.19
  • Organic Cilantro
    1/3 cup chopped $1.69
  • Fresh Organic Limes
    2 limes, juiced $1.29
  • Fish sauce
    2 tablespoons
  • Low-sodium soy sauce
    1 tablespoon
  • Brown sugar or honey
    2 teaspoons
  • Crushed red pepper flakes or Thai chile powder
    1/2 to 1 teaspoon, to taste
  • Neutral oil
    1 tablespoon
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
    to taste
  • Charles Smith Wines Kungfu Girl Riesling Washington White Wine
    750 ml $12.99

Instructions

  1. Pat the ribeye very dry, season both sides with 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt and black pepper, and let it sit at room temperature while you prep the rice, sauce, and salad.
  2. Rinse 2/3 cup jasmine rice, then cook it with 1 cup water and a pinch of salt; bring to a simmer, cover, cook 15 minutes, then let stand covered 10 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, toast 1 tablespoon dry jasmine rice in a small skillet over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes until deep golden and nutty; cool slightly, then crush in a spice grinder or with a mortar into a coarse powder.
  4. Make the jaew-style sauce by stirring together lime juice, fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar or honey, chile flakes, half the green onions, and 1 tablespoon toasted rice powder; taste for salty-sour-spicy balance.
  5. Toss the sliced English cucumber with cilantro, remaining green onions, a squeeze of lime if desired, and a tiny pinch of salt; keep chilled or set aside while the steak cooks.
  6. Heat a heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high until very hot; add oil, sear the ribeye 3 to 5 minutes per side, and sear the fat edge briefly, cooking to about 130°F for medium-rare or your preferred doneness.
  7. Transfer the steak to a board and rest 7 to 10 minutes, then slice off the bone and cut across the grain; spoon any resting juices into the jaew sauce.
  8. Plate jasmine rice, sliced ribeye, cucumber herb salad, and the bone if desired; serve with the chile-lime toasted rice sauce for dipping or spooning over the steak.

Total time: 45 minutes

Estimated cost: About $18–$22 if buying the listed steak, cucumber, herbs, lime, and rice; pantry sauces and spices not included.

Health notes: Serves 2; about 700–850 calories per serving with high protein, moderate carbs, and higher fat from ribeye.

Drink pairing: A lightly sweet Riesling is best with the chile-lime sauce; iced jasmine tea also works well.

Wine picks:

  • Charles Smith Wines Kungfu Girl Riesling Washington White Wine $12.99 750 ml
  • Segura Viudas Brut Rose Reserva Cava Spain Sparkling Wine $17.99 750 ml

Why it works: Primary: a slightly off‑dry, aromatic Riesling to tame chile, echo the lime and jasmine, and stand up to umami-rich fish sauce; Sparkling rosé as an alternative for those who want bubbles to cut the ribeye’s fat and refresh between bites. Serve the Riesling well chilled (50–55°F) and the Cava very cold.

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You asked

Riesling might be good with the sauce but will it stand up to the steak?

Careme

Yes — but choose the right Riesling. For ribeye, go with a dry or off-dry Riesling with good acidity and some body, ideally from Alsace, Austria, or Washington. The acidity cuts the ribeye fat, and a little residual sugar helps with the chile-lime jaew. If you want something that stands up more directly to the steak, pick: - Syrah: best all-around with seared ribeye, especially Washington Syrah. - Cabernet Sauvignon: classic with ribeye, but less friendly with lime/chile/fish sauce. - Dry rosé: lighter, but good with the cucumber and Thai flavors. My pick for this recipe: Washington Syrah if you want steak-first; off-dry Riesling if you want sauce-first.

You asked

Would grilling the ribeye be okay?

Careme

Yes — grilling would be great for this recipe. It’ll actually fit the Isan Thai direction well because the char works nicely with the lime-chile jaew sauce. For a 1 lb bone-in ribeye: - Dry-brine as planned if you have time. - Heat grill to medium-high/high and oil the grates. - Grill 3–5 minutes per side, then move to a cooler zone if needed. - Pull at about 125–130°F for medium-rare; it will rise a few degrees while resting. - Rest 7–10 minutes before slicing. - Serve with the cucumber salad and jaew sauce. Avoid brushing the jaew sauce on while grilling since the sugar can burn. Use it as a dipping/spooning sauce after the steak rests.

You asked

Anything I. Can do to the ribeye 4 hours before cook time?

Careme

Yes — dry-brine it. 4 hours before cooking: - Pat the ribeye very dry. - Salt it lightly but evenly: about 3/4 tsp kosher salt for a 1 lb steak. - Put it on a rack or plate, uncovered, in the fridge. - Optional: add black pepper now, or wait until cooking if you don’t want pepper to scorch. 30–45 minutes before cooking: - Take it out of the fridge. - Pat dry again if any moisture appears. - Do not add lime juice, jaew sauce, or fish sauce this early — acid/salt can make the surface wet or change the texture. - Sear as planned. If you want a little Isan-style boost, you can brush on a tiny amount of fish sauce only in the last 10–15 minutes before cooking, then pat very dry before it hits the pan.

Recipe score: 8/10

Planned by Careme.