Name: Soy Glazed “Shaking Beef” Salad with Pickled Onions
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings as part of a multi-dish meal
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: ½ tsp. Granuated sugar; 2 tsp. Soy sauce; ½ cup Sliced red onions, ⅛ inch (0.3 cm.) thick, about 1½ to 2-inch (3.8 to 5 cm.) pieces; 8 cloves Garlic, roughly chopped; 2 bunch Watercress, picked into sprigs or ½ head green leaf lettuce. Torn into bite size pieces.; 2 tbsp. Distilled (white) vinegar; 1 tsp. Dark soy sauce; 1 tsp. Vietnamese caramel sauce or dark brown sugar; 1 lb. (454 g.) Beef filet mignon, strip loin or other tender cut, ¾-inch (2 cm.) cubes; 2 tbsp. Water; pinch Kosher salt; 1 tsp. Coarsely ground black pepper; 2 tbsp. Vegetable oil; 2 tsp. Fish sauce (nước mắm); 2 tsp. Oyster sauce; 2 tsp. Vietnamese chili sauce or store bought

Preparation info

Makes
4 to 6
servings as part of a multi-dish meal

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Southeast Asian Flavors

By Robert Danhi

Published 2008

About

Often mistaken for a casual affair since it is so quick and easy to prepare, this stir-fry is really an elegant salad. Tender cubes of oyster sauce and garlic marinated beef gain smoky essences in a fiery hot sautœ pan. Then, they’re paired with spiritedly dressed salad and sharp pickled onions. It feels like a “night on the town” in a single dish.

The French introduced the method of sautœing, “shaking the beef,” to Vietnam. The Chinese brought oyster sauce and soy sauce. The Vietna