Vietnamese Shaking Beef with Charred Tomatoes and Lime-Pepper Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch cubes and patted very dry
• 3 tbsp soy sauce, divided
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 small red onion, cut into thin wedges
• 2 medium ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 limes, 1 juiced and 1 cut into wedges
• 1/2 tsp flaky salt
• 4 cup watercress or baby arugula, washed and dried
• Cooked jasmine rice, for serving

Steps

1. 1

   Toss the beef cubes with 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce, the brown sugar, garlic, and 1 teaspoon of the black pepper. Let it sit at room temperature while you prep everything else. Ten to 15 minutes is plenty, and the sugar is what builds the deep crust later.

2. 2

   Make the dipping sauce. This is the whole personality of the dish, and it takes 30 seconds. Stir the juice of 1 lime with the flaky salt and the remaining 1 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl. It should taste aggressively bright. Set it at the table now so you don't forget it.

3. 3

   Arrange the watercress on a large platter and tuck about half the tomato wedges into it. The hot beef lands directly on top later. The greens wilt slightly and the tomatoes soften, and that's the point.

4. 4

   Set a large skillet or wok over the highest heat your stove has and let it get properly hot. A drop of water should skitter and vanish instantly. Add the oil, then the beef in a single layer with space between the cubes. Work in two batches if your pan is crowded. Crowded beef steams, and steamed beef is gray and sad.

5. 5

   Now the hard part: do nothing. Let the cubes sear untouched for a full 90 seconds until the undersides are deeply browned. Then grip the handle and shake the pan hard so the cubes tumble and flip. This is the move the dish is named for. Sear another 60 to 90 seconds, shaking once or twice more, until the beef is crusty outside and cooked to your preferred doneness.

6. 6

   Add the red onion and the remaining tomato wedges and shake to combine. Cook 1 to 2 minutes. The onion should stay crisp and the tomatoes should just blister at the edges, not collapse.

7. 7

   Kill the heat. Add the butter and the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, shaking the pan as the butter melts into a glossy pan glaze that coats every cube.

8. 8

   Pour the beef, vegetables, and all the pan juices over the watercress platter. Serve with jasmine rice, the lime wedges, and the lime-pepper sauce for dunking. Drag each bite of beef through the sauce first. That's not optional.