Vietnamese Shaking Beef with Watercress and Lime-Pepper Dip
Inspired by techniques from NYT Cooking and America's Test Kitchen.
Cubes of beef are seared hard and fast in a hot wok, then tossed with peppers, onion and garlic butter and served over a tangy watercress and tomato salad with a lime-pepper dipping sauce.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Marinate the beef. Toss the beef cubes with the soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, garlic, pepper and oil, then leave for 15-30 minutes while you prepare everything else. A short marinade seasons just the surface of the beef without drawing out much moisture, so it still sears properly rather than steaming in the pan.
- 2
Cook the rice. Start the rice cooking according to the packet instructions so it's ready at the same time as the beef. Timing it to run alongside the stir-fry means everything reaches the table hot together.
- 3
Make the salad and dip. Whisk the rice vinegar, sugar and oil together, toss with the watercress, then arrange it on a serving platter with the sliced tomatoes. Stir the lime juice, salt and pepper together in the two small bowls, ready for dipping.
- 4
Sear the beef in batches. Heat the wok over high heat until it's smoking, add the stir-fry oil and half the beef in a single layer with the pieces not touching, then leave undisturbed for 2 minutes until a dark crust forms. Shake and toss for a further 2-3 minutes until browned all over and a probe thermometer in the centre of a large cube reads 63°C, then lift out and repeat with the remaining beef. Searing in two batches keeps the wok screaming hot throughout, so the beef develops a proper crust instead of releasing water and stewing.
- 5
Stir-fry the vegetables. In the same pan, stir-fry the pepper and onion for 2 minutes until just softened and lightly coloured at the edges. Add the garlic and butter, then return the beef with its juices and shake everything together for 30 seconds until glossy and well coated.
- 6
Serve. Pile the beef and vegetables onto the watercress, where it will wilt slightly in the residual heat as the beef rests for 3 minutes. Serve with the rice and the lime-pepper dip on the side.
Storage
Keep leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 2 days; the dressed watercress salad is best eaten the same day as it wilts further on standing. Reheat the beef and vegetables gently in a hot pan until piping hot throughout (74°C), and serve with freshly cooked rice. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Equipment
- wok or large heavy frying pan (30 cm)
- tongs or wok spatula
- instant-read probe thermometer
- 2 mixing bowls
- 2 small bowls
- saucepan with lid for the rice
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 602 kcal |
| Protein | 40.2 g |
| Carbohydrate | 63.1 g |
| of which sugars | 7.2 g |
| of which free sugars | 2.2 g |
| Fat | 20.1 g |
| of which saturates | 5.1 g |
| Fibre | 3.4 g |
| Salt | 2.04 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
6.7 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
