The idea for using filet mignon for this classic Vietnamese dish comes from The Slanted Door in San Francisco: cubed, tender beef, stir-fried briefly in a hot pan, before adding the ingredients to form a simple, flavorful sauce. Serve shaking beef on a bed of watercress with lime wedges and thinly sliced scallion or red onion.
- Yield: 2 servings
- Difficulty: Easy
- Total: 20 mins, plus 30 mins to come to room temp
- Active: 20 mins
Ingredients (8)
- 2 filet mignon steaks (about 8 ounces each), cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Olive oil
- Watercress, lime wedges, and thinly sliced scallions or red onion, for serving
Instructions
- Remove the steaks from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to come to room temperature. In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and garlic.
- Pat the filet pieces dry with paper towels and season with plenty of salt and pepper. Heat a large cast-iron frying pan over high heat for about 5 minutes.
- When the pan is very hot, add the olive oil. When hot, sear the steak pieces until browned, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes total. Add the soy sauce mixture and toss and coat the steak pieces. Bring to a boil, then transfer to a serving plate.