I am obsessed with Sweet Octopus. The poke bowls are awesome, but I can replicate them at home. The Garlic Pepper Beef is “to die for”! Can you please try to obtain a home recipe for their dedicated fans? Thanks. — Chris Casey, Norcross
Teck Mun Ho, manager of Sweet Octopus, was quick to share this recipe, a mainstay of the Thai portion of the restaurant’s menu and the creation of chef Narabhatra Bimbameka.
The menu lists the Garlic Pepper Beef as being made with premium Black Angus “tender beef.” It turns out the restaurant uses teres major, a cut that comes from the same section of the cow as the chuck. It’s approximately the size of a pork tenderloin and considered the second-most tender cut of beef, after the tenderloin.
You may be able to find a butcher that can supply teres major, but we tested the recipe with beef tenderloin. You’ll still need to do some specialized shopping. The recipe calls for two kinds of soy sauce and Golden Mountain Seasoning sauce, all of which you can find at stores that carry Thai groceries. We bought ours from ImportFood.com, an online shop specializing in Thai ingredients. It’s worth seeking out these ingredients as they make all the difference in this dish.
You can find Thai fried garlic where you purchase Thai ingredients or make your own. Simply mince four or five garlic cloves, saute the garlic in a neutral oil (canola or vegetable) until it turns golden brown, drain on a paper towel, and set aside until needed. You can do this in advance and store the garlic in the refrigerator until needed. It should keep for about a week.
From the menu of ... Sweet Octopus, 3559 W. Lawrenceville St., Duluth. 678-825-2990, sweetoctopus.com.
Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you’d like to make at home? Tell us and we’ll try to get it. We’ll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can’t answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put “From the menu of” and the name of the restaurant in the subject line.
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