Ingredients

1 tablespoon nam pla (Thai fish sauce)

1 teaspoon cracked or coarsely ground black pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

1 small Thai chili, stemmed and seeded, or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes, or to taste

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons chopped garlic, or to taste

2 medium-to-large shallots, chopped

1/2 cup washed, dried and chopped mint or Thai basil

1/2 cup washed, dried and chopped cilantro

Salt and pepper

1 1/2 pounds skirt steak

12 or 16 leaves Boston, red-leaf or green-leaf lettuce, washed and dried.

Preparation

  1. Start a charcoal or wood fire, or heat a gas grill. Fire should be moderately hot. Grill rack should be no more than 4 inches from heat source.
  2. Combine first 7 ingredients in a blender or food processor and purée; add herbs and pulse to chop finely, but not quite purée. Taste and adjust seasonings as you like.
  3. Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper and grill 4 minutes a side. Cut into 4 steaks, arrange over lettuce, and serve with sauce. Or cut into strips, wrap each strip in a lettuce leaf, top with a bit of sauce and roll up.