Isaan Grill · Waterfall Salad

Nam Tok (Waterfall Meat Salad)

Photo: Takeaway / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

The name means 'waterfall', usually explained as the juices that drip from the meat as it grills; the same name is used for boat noodles made with a blood-enriched broth.

Grilled pork or beef is sliced thin against the grain and tossed with lime juice, fish sauce, ground toasted rice, chili flakes, shallots and fresh mint and coriander, served warm alongside sticky rice and raw vegetables.

Why it's made this way: Like larb, nam tok grew out of Isaan and Lao communal cooking, but grilling the meat whole before slicing — rather than mincing it raw — makes it a distinct dish with its own texture and smokier flavor.