Vietnamese-Style Beef With Watercress

The Washington Post, October 10, 2007

• • Cuisine: Asian
• • Course: Main Course
• • Features: Fast

Summary:

Here, a 10-minute marinade delivers a lot of salty and sweet flavor to tender boneless rib-eye steak. The simple salad relies on red onion for a pungent crunch that some may find too strong; a brief layover in an ice-water bath will take out some of the sting. If the onion is not a problem for you, feel free to omit the soak.

Serve with warmed flat bread or udon noodles.

4 servings

Ingredients:

• • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• • 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
• • 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• • 1 1/4 pounds boneless rib-eye steak
• • 1/2 small red onion
• • 2 medium cloves garlic
• • 1 bunch watercress
• • 2 tablespoons white or cider vinegar
• • 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Directions:

Combine the fish sauce, soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large resealable plastic food storage bag.

Trim and discard all visible fat from the steak and cut the meat into 1-inch chunks (there should be about 14 ounces of meat); add to the bag and seal. Shake until well coated. Set aside for 10 minutes, at room temperature.

Meanwhile, fill a medium bowl with ice cubes and water. Cut the onion into thin slices, place them in the ice water and let sit for 5 minutes. Mince the garlic and set aside. Trim the watercress stems, then wash the watercress and spin dry (there should be 2 to 3 cups).

Combine the vinegar, 1 teaspoon of the oil and the remaining sugar, pepper and salt in a bowl; add the onion and toss to evenly coat. Add the watercress, but leave it on top of the onion and dressing to toss just before serving.

Heat a wok or large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and swirl to coat the wok or skillet. Carefully add the marinated steak and its sauce, being careful to avoid any spattering hot oil; quickly distribute the meat in a single layer and cook, without stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes, until browned. Shake the wok or skillet or use a spatula to turn the meat over and brown on the second side for 2 to 3 minutes. Scatter the garlic over the beef and cook without stirring for 1 minute. Then cook for 1 to 2 minutes for medium-rare, or to the desired doneness, shaking or turning as needed. Remove from the heat.

Toss the watercress with the onion and dressing; divide among individual plates. Place the beef on top of each salad portion and serve immediately.

Recipe Source:

Adapted from "300 Best Stir-Fry Recipes," by Nancie McDermott (Robert Rose, 2007).

261 calories, 15g fat, 4g saturated fat, 54mg cholesterol, 836mg sodium, 4g carbohydrates, n/a dietary fiber, n/a sugar, 25g protein.