Venison skewers with nam jim jaew

Using venison gives a leaner, deeper-flavoured twist on the classic Thai street-side skewers traditionally made with pork. Perfect with sticky rice and jaew dipping sauce for a smoky, spicy finish.

Credit: Jiwon Kim

• serves

  4

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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Ingredients

• 500 g venison backstrap or leg, cut into bite-sized pieces (around 2.5 cm cubes)
• 2 tbsp garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp coriander roots (or coriander stems), finely chopped
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce (or dark soy sauce for deeper colour)
• 2 tbsp condensed milk or 1 tbsp palm sugar
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil (or melted pork fat or beef fat for extra richness)
• 1 tsp white pepper
• Bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes (or metal skewers)

For the nam jim jaew

• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp tamarind paste (see Note)
• 1 tbsp palm sugar (see Note)
• 1 tbsp khao khua (roasted rice powder), (see Note)
• 1 tsp nam prik pon (roasted chilli flakes), to taste (see Note)
• 1 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves
• 1 finely chopped spring onion (optional)
• 1 small eschallot, thinly sliced (optional)

Marinating time: 1 hour to overnight

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine the venison with the garlic, coriander, soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, condensed milk, oil (or fat) and white pepper. Mix well to combine, then marinate for 1 hour to overnight.
2. Meanwhile make the nam jim jaew. In a small bowl, combine the fish sauce, tamarind paste and palm sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely. Add the roasted rice powder, chilli flakes and coriander (and spring onion and eschallot, if using). Mix well to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more fish sauce for saltiness, tamarind for sourness or chilli flakes for heat. Set aside until ready to serve.
3. Preheat a chargrill pan or barbecue to medium-high heat. Thread the marinated venison pieces onto skewers.
4. Grill the skewers for about 8–12 minutes, turning frequently until lightly charred, basting generously with leftover marinate or a little extra oil to keep the venison moist. Avoid overcooking – remove the skewers when the venison is just cooked through and still juicy. Serve the venison skewers with the nam jim jaew.

Notes

• Venison can dry out quickly, so this version has a little added fat in the marinade - baste generously for best results!
• Nam jim jaew is the OG of all Thai dips, a favourite staple in my family’s kitchen and trust me, it will be yours too. This smoky, tangy, and slightly spicy dip is perfect for grilled meats and sticky rice, capturing the essence of traditional Thai flavours. Typically made with tamarind for a rich sourness, you can easily swap it for lime or lemon juice if tamarind isn’t available, keeping the dip just as refreshing and just as addictive.
• Tamarind paste can be substituted with lime or lemon juice. Palm sugar can be substituted with brown sugar.

To makde Khao khua: Toast 4 tbsp glutinous rice in a dry pan over medium heat until deeply golden-brown (very important, I would say the colour of the crust on toast!), nutty and aromatic, about 6–8 minutes. Continuously shake every now and then until an even brown. Cool, then grind into a coarse powder using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder.

To make Nam prik pon: Toast 10–15 dried Thai chillies in a dry pan until aromatic and darkened (dark maroon / dark brown - very important! It's almost borderline black!). Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. When cooled, transfer into a small blender or food processor and blitz, or pound in a mortar, to a coarse powder. Set aside.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

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