My most memorable Vietnamese Shaking Beef was at the restaurant Thanh Long in San Francisco. I may not have cared for the veggies that came with the dish--- I was there for the beef, and they had the most tender cubes of beef. Their Shaking Beef is supposedly flambéed in Chardonnay. This recipe is simpler but will give you the same great taste!
Slightly charred on the outside, medium rare on the inside, with a sweet-salty flavor that blends well with the sweet-sour flavor of the salad's dressing. This dish goes well with steamed white rice or a bowl of garlic noodles.
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds beef steak cut into cubes (I use Ribeye, NY, or filet mignon)
Oil for sautéing (I use rice bran oil)
Marinade
1 head garlic, peeled and minced
2 Tablespoons white sugar
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 ½ Tablespoons oyster sauce
1 Tablespoon fish sauce
Salad
Bunch of cilantro or watercress
Half of a medium size red onion, sliced thinly
Tomatoes, sliced (I use grape tomatoes; you can use Roma tomatoes)
Dressing
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 Tablespoon white sugar
1 Tablespoon water
INSTRUCTIONS
Salad
In a small bowl, mix the vinegar, sugar, and water. Make sure the sugar is dissolved.
Soak sliced red onions in the dressing and set aside.
Beef
Place beef cubes in a bowl. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, mix the marinade ingredients together until well combined, making sure sugar is dissolved.
Pour marinade over beef cubes. Toss beef cubes to make sure each cube is well coated with marinade.
Set aside and let marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Once done marinating, heat skillet or pan with oil on high heat.
Sauté the beef cubes in batches. Do not dump beef cubes in skillet or pan at once. This may steam the beef instead of sautéing.
Once beef cubes achieve a slight char, take them out of the pan and sauté the next batch until done with the rest of the beef cubes. Let the beef cubes rest for at least 3 minutes on a plate before transferring to serving plate/platter.
Plate the salad--- arrange the cilantro/watercress and sliced tomatoes on a plate. Drizzle some of the salad dressing on the cilantro/watercress and sliced tomatoes.
Arrange the beef on the bed of salad and top with the sliced red onions.
Serve with steamed white rice or garlic noodles.
