Eye for a Recipe

This is a delicious recipe from Food and Wine that combines spicy beef with fresh greens and herbs. The ingredient list may seem long, but the dish comes together quickly once you have everything ready to go.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I have never been able to find additive-free oyster sauce, so I make my own. The recipe is below. Use tamari instead of soy sauce because it contains alcohol as a preservative instead of sodium benzoate. I use Cock brand fish sauce and Marukan rice vinegar.

Ingredients:

Oyster Sauce

1 ½ tablespoons (25 ml) soy sauce

1 tablespoon (15 ml) sugar

1 ½ teaspoons (7 ml) cornstarch

Beef

1 ½  tablespoons (25 ml) oyster sauce, plus more to taste

1 tablespoon (15 ml) soy sauce

1 ½ teaspoons (7.5 ml) granulated sugar

1 ½ teaspoons (7.5 ml) cornstarch

1 teaspoon (5 ml) fish sauce

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) freshly ground black pepper

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1 ½ pounds (680 g) boneless rib eye steak or New York strip steak, trimmed and cut into ¾ – to 1-inch pieces (1.9- to 2.5-cm)

Salad

¼ cup (60 ml) thinly sliced red onion or shallot

2 tablespoons (30 ml) water

1 ½ tablespoons (25 ml) unseasoned rice vinegar

1 ½ teaspoons (7.5 ml) granulated sugar or honey

1/8 teaspoon (0.65 ml)  fine sea salt

1/8 teaspoon (0.65 ml) freshly ground black pepper

4 cups (1 L) lightly packed watercress, baby arugula, or other salad greens

1 cup (250 ml) torn radicchio or 8 halved cherry tomatoes

¼ cup (60 ml) fresh mint, basil, or other herb leaves, torn

2 tablespoons (30 ml) canola oil or other neutral oil (such as grapeseed)

Preparation:

Make the oyster sauce

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

Make the beef

Stir together oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, fish sauce, pepper, and garlic in a medium bowl. If a saltier finish is desired, add up to 1 ½ teaspoons (7.5 ml) more oyster sauce. Add beef, toss well to coat, and let marinate 20 minutes at room temperature.

Make the salad

Rinse onions in a strainer under cold running water for about 10 seconds; set aside. Whisk together 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved. Add onion; top with watercress, radicchio, and herbs. Do not toss.

Heat a large, heavy skillet over high, and add oil. When oil is shimmering, carefully add beef in a single layer. Cook, shaking pan every 30 to 60 seconds, until seared on all sides and meat reaches desired degree of doneness, 3 to 4 minutes for medium-rare. Remove from heat. Quickly toss salad, and transfer to a platter or serving dish. Pile cooked beef and juices on salad, and serve immediately. Serves 4.

From Food and Wine