Shaking Beef aka Bò lúc lắc

Ingredients

For the Meat:

2 pounds beef tenderloin, cut into 1–inch cubes

6 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons medium-dry sherry

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for cooking

For the Vinaigrette:

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

2 teaspoons sugar

1 garlic clove, minced

1 lemongrass stalk, lower third of the bulb only, minced

For the Salad:

6 ounces watercress (10 packed cups)

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

Preparation

For the Meat: In a large bowl, combine the garlic, sherry, soy sauce, sugar, pepper, and five-spice powder with 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the beef and turn to coat thoroughly with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight.

For the Vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce with the vegetable oil, sherry, red wine vinegar, minced ginger, sugar, garlic and lemongrass. Let stand for 30 minutes, stirring a few times.

For the Salad: Place the watercress and red onion on a platter and toss with half the vinaigrette.

Set two large skillets over high heat until very hot, about 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to each skillet, when shimmering, add the meat to both skillets in an even layer. Let cook undisturbed until richly browned on the bottom, about 1 1/2 minutes. Shake the skillet to release the meat and cook for about 30 seconds longer, until medium-rare. Scrape the beef onto the watercress. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette, toss lightly and serve right away