Vietnamese Beef and Watercress

Vietnamese Beef and Watercress

Benji Ballmer
Recipes

Vietnamese Beef and Watercress

Adapted from Seasons and Suppers

Watercress is a rich, leafy power green with gram for gram more vitamin C than an orange, more iron than spinach, and more calcium than a glass of milk. Nevertheless, I digress. Plan to impress nonetheless with fresh WATERCRESS paired with marinated Vietnamese beef largesse in this little-mess, no-stress, satisfying meal that will leave you unable to suppress the sweet taste of success. 

INGREDIENTS

Marinade:

Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar

  • 2 Tablespoons white sugar

  • 1/4 cup water

  • 5 Tablespoons soy sauce

  • 1 Tablespoon fish sauce

Stir Fry:

  • 2 Tablespoons cooking oil

  • 2 stalks green onion, cut into 1-inch pieces (green part only)

  • 1/2 small small onion, thinly sliced

  • 1 Tablespoon cornstarch

  • 1 Tablespoon cold water

For Serving:

Optional Dipping Sauce:

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Combine beef with marinade ingredients and stir to coat well. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours.

  • Make sauce by stirring together all the sauce ingredients. Set aside. If serving with rice, start the rice cooking about 15 minutes before you start cooking the beef. Cut green onion and onion and set aside.

  • Heat 1 Tbsp. of the oil in a wok over medium-high heat until very hot. Add 1/2 of the beef, 1/2 of the green onion and 1/2 of the red onion to the pan in one layer and allow to cook, undisturbed for 2 minutes. Flip over and cook the other side of the meat for 1 minute. Remove to a plate and repeat process with other half of the beef, green onion and red onion.

  • Add sauce to pan, shaking to loosen the meat. Add beef from plate back in to the pan. Cook, until sauce simmers, then add cornstarch mixture. Cook until sauce is hot and thickened.

  • To serve, place some fresh watercress on a plate. Top with hot beef. Serve with some rice and additional lime wedges and/or lime dipping sauce.

2025 Box #3

2025 Box #3