I attribute many of my recipe inspirations to traveling with my family when I was young.

When I first visited San Francisco a good decade ago, my parents brought me and my sister to Fisherman’s Wharf and the Ferry Building on Embarcadero to a restaurant called The Slanted Door.

The Slanted Door got its name from the shape of the door at its original, “hole-in-the-wall” location.

My visit to Slanted Door was an epiphany. Outside of Italy, the food I had here was perhaps some of the most delicious food I’ve ever tasted. This Vietnamese food was insanely good.

The Slanted Door’s signature dish is Shaking Beef. I dreamed of Shaking Beef after I left San Francisco and decided to create my own spin on this incredible dish.

 

 

The Ingredients

~4 large handfuls watercress or arugula (watercress can be a bit difficult to find!)

3 trimmed rib eye steaks (ask butcher to choose steaks with large “tails, or “caps”)

3 English cucumbers

1 cup roughly chopped unsalted, roasted peanuts

2 medium red onions

4 tablespoons peanut oil

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

3 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar

1/4 cup mirin (this is a sweet Japanese rice wine!)

1/4 cup, plus 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon minced garlic

Pepper

 

The Steps

For cucumber strips: Peel cucumbers with a vegetable peeler to remove skin (do not use the skin!). Then continue to make strips of cucumber with the veggie peeler, making strips of cucumber that are half its length, rotating the cucumber and alternating ends until the seeded center is reached. Reserve cucumber strips in the fridge.

For sautéed onion strips: Peel onions, halve, and cut across into 1/8 inch strips. Place strips into medium pot with 2 tablespoons peanut oil. Sweat over low heat until soft. Add sherry wine vinegar and set aside.

For soy mixture: In a small saucepan, place 2 tablespoons peanut oil, butter, and garlic over medium heat for 2 minutes (and until butter melts). Stir. Remove from heat. Add rice wine vinegar, mirin, 1/4 cup soy, and fish sauce. Stir again. Set aside.

For beef: Grill steaks over high heat for ~4 minutes per side until medium rare. Generously pepper each side of steaks, and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice into 1/2 inch strips, omitting especially fatty pieces.

To plate: Dress greens with ~5 tablespoons of soy mixture. Toss. Plate, and top with cucumber and onion strips. Add beef strips. Top with ~3 tablespoons soy mixture and crushed peanuts.

 

The Steps with Pictures

For cucumber strips: Peel cucumbers with a vegetable peeler to remove skin (do not use the skin!). Then continue to make strips of cucumber with the veggie peeler, making strips of cucumber that are half its length, rotating the cucumber and alternating ends until the seeded center is reached. Reserve cucumber strips in the fridge.

For sautéed onion strips: Peel onions, halve, and cut across into 1/8 inch strips. Place strips into medium pot with 2 tablespoons peanut oil. Sweat over low heat until soft. Add sherry wine vinegar and set aside.

For soy mixture: In a small saucepan, place 2 tablespoons peanut oil, butter, and garlic over medium heat for 2 minutes (and until butter melts). Stir. Remove from heat. Add rice wine vinegar, mirin, 1/4 cup soy, and fish sauce. Stir again. Set aside.

For beef: Grill steaks over high heat for ~4 minutes per side until medium rare. Generously pepper each side of steaks, and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice into 1/2 inch strips, omitting especially fatty pieces.

To plate: Dress greens with ~5 tablespoons of soy mixture. Toss. Plate, and top with cucumber and onion strips. Add beef strips. Top with ~3 tablespoons soy mixture and crushed peanuts.