Ingredients
2 lb. beef sirloin, filet, or ribeye, trimmed of any excess fat and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/2 tbsp. granulated white sugar
1 tbsp. oyster sauce
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. canola oil or other neutral cooking oil
2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp. canola oil or other neutral cooking oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch watercress, washed, with tough stems removed
1 tsp. soy sauce
2 red bell peppers, diced roughly into 1-inch pieces
1 white or yellow onion, diced roughly into 1-inch pices
3 stalks of green onion, cut into 1-inch pieces, white and green parts dividied
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c. lime juice, from about 2 limes
Preparation
Step 1Mix marinade ingredients and add beef. Stir well and let marinate at room temperature for 1-2 hours. If marinating for longer, refrigerate and take beef out one hour before cooking to let it come to room temperature. Step 2Heat a wok over low-medium heat and add a drizzle of oil, 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, and the watercress. Season the watercress with a teaspoon of soy sauce. Cook, stirring frequently until the watercress starts to droop and soften a little. Set watercress aside. Step 3Turn the wok to high heat until a drop of water evaporates on contact. Add enough oil to coat the pan and take the beef out of marinade and cook in one layer until it sears on each side. It doesn’t need to be fully cooked (especially if you prefer medium-rare) since it will be added back to the pan later. The searing needs to be done in batches so the pan doesn’t get overcrowded and prevent the beef from cooking properly. Set seared beef aside. Step 4Lower the heat. Add the bell pepper, white onion, and the white parts of the green onion stalks. Cook, stirring with a spatula until they are softened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Step 5Add beef back in, some of the marinade mixture, garlic, the green parts of the green onion, and the butter. Stir with a spatula and shake the wok to coat each piece with the marinade and butter. Turn off the stove as soon as all the butter is melted. Step 6Serve the shaken beef over the watercress. Step 7To make the dipping sauce, mix salt, pepper, and lime juice and stir. Divide among four dipping bowls.
There are many different ways to make and serve this dish, depending on who’s cooking it. Sometimes it’s stir fried with chunky white onion and bell pepper pieces; other times, it’s solely accompanied by thin slices of red onion. Growing up, I’ve had shaken beef served with a bowl-shaped mound of white rice or atop a bed of iceberg lettuce and tomato slices. Since then, I’ve seen it coupled with thick-cut french fries or orange-red tomato rice. For this recipe, I opted to cook it with the vegetables in the bò lúc lắc I grew up eating—with the exception of the iceberg lettuce and tomatoes, which I swapped for watercress, another popular shaken beef pairing. It’s my dad’s favorite Vietnamese dish, and he’s happy with it, so I hope you will enjoy it too! Made this yet? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
