Serves 6
Note: To answer the question that might come to mind, this is called "shaking beef" to describe the action of jiggling a wok to sauté the beef. The lime-pepper-garlic dipping sauce is typically associated with this dish, but for non-beef eaters, it also makes an intensely flavorful dressing for salads, fish, shrimp, and deep-fried tofu cubes.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef sirloin, cut into ¾-inch cubes
Marinade
- 1 teaspoon nuoc mam (Vietnamese fish sauce)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
Lime-Pepper-Garlic Dipping Sauce:
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 3 limes)
- ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
Stir-fry:
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 4 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
- 1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- Garnishes:
- 15 green or red leaf lettuce leaves
- 1 sliced tomato
- Steamed jasmine rice, for serving
Directions
- Combine all ingredients for marinade and add cubed beef. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, then pour off marinade.
- Combine all ingredients for lime-pepper-garlic dipping sauce and let stand at room temperature.
- Heat oil in a large sauté pan or wok at high heat. Add garlic, sugar and black pepper and allow to caramelize for a minute.
- Add drained, marinated beef to the pan and stir-fry for 2 minutes. (If the beef can't fit comfortably in one layer in the pan, separate it into batches and divide the ingredients in step 3 accordingly.)
- Add soy sauce and cook for 1-2 more minutes. Beef should be seared on the outside and medium-rare to medium on the inside.
- Garnish a platter with the lettuce leaves. Mound the cooked beef on top. Garnish with tomato slices.
- Serve lime-pepper-garlic dipping sauce on the side, or pour over the cooked beef just before eating. Enjoy with steamed jasmine rice.
- Lettuce leaves can be used as wrappers for the beef.
Recipe adapted from Boston's Elephant Walk restaurant.
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