LEMONGRASS SKIRT STEAK
SKEWERS
ACTIVE 30 MIN; TOTAL 1 HR 15 MIN
SERVES 10Use flat skewers here; they help the meat
char and cook evenly by curbing any roll-
ing around on the grill. High, even heat will
help guarantee strong grill marks and will
caramelize the sugars in the marinade.2 lb. skirt steak, preferably prime,
about^1 / 4 inch thick, silver skin
removed
1 cup finely chopped cilantro stems
1 / 2 cup Asian-style lager beer (such as
Lucky Buddha)
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. oyster sauce (such as Lee
Kum Kee Panda Brand Oyster-
Flavored Sauce)
11 / 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
11 / 2 Tbsp. fish sauce (such as Viet
Huong Three Crabs Brand)
1 Tbsp. finely chopped lemongrass
11 / 2 tsp. black pepper
Grapeseed oil, for grill grates
13 /^4 tsp. kosher salt
Mixed microgreens or thinly sliced
scallions, for garnish- Soak 20 (6-inch) flat bamboo skewers
in water 1 hour. - Meanwhile, cut skirt steak crosswise
(with the grain) into 8-inch-long pieces.
Working with 1 piece at a time, cut
VERY DAY AFTER SCHOOL from
the age of 9, Donny Sirisavath
filled water glasses or bussed
tables at his mom’s restaurant
in San Antonio. The menu was
Chinese and Thai, even though Sirisavath’s mom
was a refugee from Laos. “At the time, Lao food was
not popular,” he explains. By the time he was 20,
Sirisavath wanted nothing to do with the restaurant.
He spent much of the next decade wandering down
several career paths, working at a Jack in the Box; as
an airplane mechanic; as a telemarketer; and in tech
support. During a stretch as a field service engineer
at Hewlett-Packard, he realized he wasn’t happy. On
weekends, Sirisavath started preparing the Laotian
meals he grew up making with his mom. “I missed
the joy of cooking,” he says.
His plans to attend culinary school were shattered
when his mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
“I stopped everything. I spent all of my time with
her, understanding her life, her story,” he recalls.
Sirisavath would spend his days making her favorite
dishes. When his mother passed, everything clicked
into place: “Cooking was what I had to pursue.”
He launched a pop-up in Dallas, serving his take
on the Lao dishes of his childhood. It was an instant
hit. After several years, he still hesitated to open a
brick-and-mortar spot, but a conversation with chef
Seng Luangrath, who runs a small empire of Lao
restaurants in Washington, D.C., killed his linger-
ing doubts. “She was the person I needed to talk to
because I don’t have a mom. I needed my mom’s
blessing,” he says. “Chef Seng gave me the confi-
dence to say, ‘Hey look, you should do what you
want to do and be passionate about it.” Soon after,
Sirisavath opened the doors to Khao Noodle Shop.
The size of Khao Noodle Shop (tiny) belies the
flavor coming out of the kitchen (huge). Most plates
are priced between $5 and $7, including the boat
noodles, a deeply umami bowl of rice noodles in
charred beef-bone broth seasoned with toasted star
anise, black peppercorns, and a hefty pour of pork
blood, for texture. Same for the trio of shrimp bites,
pulled from the fryer just seconds before they arrive
at the table shatteringly crisp. The stars of the menu,
however, are the sakoo, luxuriously chewy tapioca
dumplings bursting with crisp pickled radish. They
aren’t easy to make and are traditionally only eaten
for special occasions. But for Sirisavath, the day-
long process is worth it. “Every day I’m celebrating
my mom’s memory. Every day I’m celebrating life.”lengthwise (against the grain) into 1-inch
strips. (If any of the pieces are thicker
than^1 / 4 inch, carefully butterfly thick
pieces crosswise and open up to create
larger^1 / 4 -inch-thick pieces.) Set aside.- Stir together cilantro stems, beer, gar-
lic, oyster sauce, sugar, fish sauce, lem-
ongrass, and black pepper in a large bowl.
Add steak, and toss to coat. Let stand at
room temperature 15 minutes, tossing
occasionally. - Remove steak from marinade, and
thread onto skewers, folding back and
forth accordion-style. Transfer skewers
to a rimmed baking sheet. Cover and chill
until ready to use, up to 4 hours. - Open bottom vent of a charcoal grill
completely. Light 2 charcoal chimney
starters filled with briquettes. Let char-
coal burn until you see white rings around
the charcoal on the top of the chimney
(there can still be flame). Pour briquettes
evenly onto bottom grate of grill. Adjust
vents as needed to maintain an internal
temperature of 500°F to 550°F. Coat top
grill grate with oil; place grate on grill. - Season skewers evenly with salt. Place
on oiled grates; grill, uncovered, turning
occasionally, until charred and cooked
to desired doneness, 6 to 8 minutes for
medium. Transfer to a serving platter.
Garnish with microgreens or scallions.
MAKE AHEAD Steak can be marinated up
to 4 hours before grilling.
WINE Medium-bodied, tangy red: 2017
Love & Squalor Willamette Valley Gamay
E
it’s hard to find access to
health insurance for a
reasonable price. I HOPE
THAT THE GOVERNMENT
CREATES POLICIES t o
provide insurance for the self-
employed and their employees.”
—donny sirisavath