Vietnamese Style Beef with Garlic, Black Pepper, and Lime #eattheworld

Welcome to our first post of 2021 for the Eat the World project, led by Evelyne of CulturEatz. Click here to find out how to join and have fun exploring a country a month in the kitchen with us!

For this month's assignment, we were given the country of Vietnam! Vietnam has long been on my "wish list" to travel to someday. Vietnam is a 1,025 mile long strip, heavily coastal, and only 30 miles wide (east to west) at its most narrow point. Vietnam is home to very diverse animal and plant life, including one of my favorite's which I loved seeing at the zoo - the Sun Bear! In terms of cuisine, fish sauce and fresh herbs play heavily in many Vietnamese dishes. Pho is one of my very favorite foods in the world (that I've had so far) and we are lucky to have some pretty great Vietnamese restaurants to pick from around Atlanta, so it's something we enjoy at least every once in awhile. But the couple times I've tried, I've never quite been able to achieve the depth of flavor in that sumptuous broth at home! 

Source: Britannica

Today I opted to use some of the beef I have stashed away in the freezer in this simple but utterly delicious recipe. The ingredient list is pretty small, but the flavor is dynamic. Bursts of warmth from the pepper, the tang of lime, and that deep, pungent fish sauce to round it all out. 

This dish disappeared in a flash at my house - and it will definitely be a go-to anytime we're craving those rich, warm flavors and have some steak available. I let the rice cook in my Instant Pot and everything was done at about the same time. Perfect for a working from home lunch, or a quick and easy work night dinner!

See all of our Vietnamese dishes we're sharing with you today!

Pandemonium Noshery: Bánh Tráng Nướng 

Magical Ingredients: Vietnamese Summer Spring Rolls 

Sneha’s Recipe: Vietnamese Che Chuoi /Coconut and Sago Pudding 

Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Vietnamese Chicken Porridge (Chao Ga) 

Sugarlovespices: Vietnamese Kabocha Squash Soup 

Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Cà Phê Trứng (Vietnamese Egg Coffee) 

A Day in the Life on the Farm: Easy Beef Pho 

Making Miracles: Vietnamese Style Beef with Garlic, Black Pepper, and Lime 

Kitchen Frau: Vietnamese Caramelized Ground Pork Rice Bowls

Palatable Pastime: Vietnamese Inspired Marinated Bean Salad

Vietnamese Style Beef with Garlic, Black Pepper, and Lime

Ingredients

2 TBS soy sauce

2 TBS lime juice

1 1/2 TBS light brown sugar

1 TBS fish sauce

1 heaping TBS minced garlic (jarred)

2 TBS vegetable oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lb sirloin steak, thinly sliced 

1 large yellow onion, sliced thinly

3 TBS chopped roasted salted peanuts

Directions

1. Whisk the soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, and fish sauce together and set aside.
2. Generously season your steak on both sides with salt and pepper.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and heat 1 TBS of oil. Sear the meat on both sides to medium-rare then set aside to rest in a bowl or on a plate.
4. Add 1 additional TBS of oil to the skillet and add the onion, seasoned with salt and pepper while cooking. Reduce heat to medium if needed so the onions don't burn as they soften and cook, stirring regularly. When they begin to caramelize and are nice and tender, add in the minced garlic and cook another minute.
5. Scrape the steak and any accumulated juices along with the soy / fish sauce mixture (whisk again before pouring in to reincorporate the sugar if needed). Bring to a low simmer until sauce thickens slightly.
6. Serve sprinkled with chopped roasted peanuts, over rice if desired.

Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking