In Thai cuisine, nam jim jaew is what we typically serve alongside grilled meat. It’s full of bold flavors: sweet, tart, funky, that definitely boosts any protein you decide to pair it with. To add smokiness and texture to this grill sauce, we’ll quickly prepare khao khua, toasted rice powder, by toasting and grinding raw rice grains into a nice coarse grind. The khao khua not only thickens the sauce, but also adds a nice nuttiness to the whole ordeal. As with just about every sauce in Thai cooking, fish sauce makes an appearance. If you’re not keen on the flavors of fish sauce (why though??), you can definitely use salt. Just be sure to exercise caution so you don’t overdo the saltiness.

Next time you decide to bring out your inner carnivore for dinner, give this Thai condiment a crack. You’ll probably never go back to A-1 again!