Khmer street skewers of beef sliced thin and marinated in kroeung (lemongrass-galangal-turmeric paste), palm sugar, and fish sauce, grilled over coals until lacquered and served with pickled papaya or stuffed into a baguette (num pang sach ko). The sweet-savory lemongrass profile distinguishes it from neighboring Thai and Vietnamese skewer traditions.
Also known as: sach ko ang, sach ko chomkak, cambodian beef skewers, sach ko jakak, khmer grilled beef sticks, angsach ko
Watch it made
Ingredients
- 600 g beef (flank or sirloin), sliced 1 cm thin against the grain
- 3 tbsp kroeung paste (lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, kaffir lime zest, garlic, pounded)
- 2 tbsp palm sugar
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp coconut milk
- pickled green papaya or vegetables, to serve
- 1 baguette or steamed rice
- lime, black pepper and salt, for the tuk meric dip
How to make it
- 1
Massage the beef slices with kroeung, palm sugar, fish sauce, oyster sauce and coconut milk; marinate 4 hours so the paste's citrus roots reach the center.
- 2
Stir lime juice into cracked black pepper and salt for the tuk meric dip.
- 3
Ripple the slices onto skewers and grill over hot charcoal 2-3 minutes per side — thin beef and caramelizing palm sugar want speed.
- 4
Watch for the edges to lacquer dark amber; that sugar char against the kroeung is the dish.
- 5
Serve with pickled papaya and baguette (the Phnom Penh way) or rice, dipping each bite in tuk meric.
Pro tip: Pound the kroeung to a true paste, not a chop — fibrous lemongrass pieces torch on the grill while a smooth paste melts into crust.
The story of Sach Ko Ang
Sach ko ang is the Khmer street skewer: beef sliced thin and marinated in kroeung — the lemongrass, galangal and turmeric paste that underpins Cambodian cooking — with palm sugar and fish sauce, grilled over coals until lacquered and served with pickled papaya or stuffed into a baguette as num pang sach ko.
The baguette is the Cambodian twist and a French colonial inheritance shared with Vietnam, though the fillings diverge. The sweet-savoury lemongrass profile distinguishes it clearly from neighbouring Thai and Vietnamese skewer traditions, which reach for different aromatics from the same regional pantry.
The technique that defines it
Kroeung is the foundation and it must be pounded or blended to a genuine paste — lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, kaffir lime zest, garlic and shallot. Cambodian cooks traditionally pound it in a mortar, and the resulting texture clings to thin beef in a way a roughly blended version does not.
Palm sugar and fish sauce complete the marinade and drive the caramelisation. The beef is sliced very thin, marinated for a few hours, and grilled fast over charcoal so it lacquers without drying. Basting with the reserved marinade during the cook builds the glaze.
Choosing your ingredients
Beef sirloin or flank sliced very thin against the grain. Kroeung ingredients: lemongrass, galangal, fresh turmeric, kaffir lime zest and leaf, garlic, shallot. Fresh turmeric rather than dried makes a real difference.
Palm sugar, fish sauce, a little oil. Pickled green papaya, cucumber and carrot for serving, or a baguette with pâté, pickles, herbs and a chilli sauce for the num pang version. Bamboo skewers, soaked.
Mistakes that ruin it
A roughly blended kroeung
It must be a genuine paste to cling to thin beef. Pound it or blend it thoroughly with a little water.
Dried turmeric
Fresh turmeric is what the paste calls for and the difference in aroma is substantial.
A hot fire
Palm sugar caramelises fast. Moderate coals and turning.
Thick slices
The beef is sliced very thin so it lacquers quickly. Thick slices dry before the glaze forms.
How it is served
With pickled papaya and rice, or in a baguette as num pang sach ko with pâté, pickles and herbs — which is Cambodia's breakfast sandwich. Iced coffee alongside. Street carts sell both versions from the same grill.
Questions about Sach Ko Ang
What is kroeung?
The Cambodian aromatic paste of lemongrass, galangal, fresh turmeric, kaffir lime, garlic and shallot. It underpins most Khmer cooking and is the base of this marinade.
What is num pang sach ko?
The Cambodian baguette sandwich filled with this grilled beef, plus pâté, pickles and herbs — a French colonial inheritance made local.
Fresh or dried turmeric?
Fresh, always. The aroma is substantially different and dried turmeric flattens the paste.
How is it different from Thai or Vietnamese skewers?
The kroeung paste — heavier on galangal and fresh turmeric — gives a distinct profile from Thai coriander-root pastes or Vietnamese lemongrass-and-fish-sauce marinades.
