Vietnamese Steak Salad (Shaking Beef)

This is the ideal one-dish meal. But don't serve it to guests who are squeamish about spicy, zesty food.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound strip or porterhouse steak
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 bunch scallions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• Freshly-ground black pepper
• Red pepper flakes, to taste
• 2 cups watercress, cleaned, with heavy stems removed
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• Fresh mint

Instructions

1. Rub the steak with 4 cloves of the garlic.
2. Sprinkle on the fish sauce, sugar, salt and olive oil. Rub it again.
3. Let it marinate for at least one hour.
4. Fire up the grill.
5. Marinate the scallions and the remaining clove of garlic in the vinegar.
6. Grill the steak for 5 minutes on each side.
7. Remove it from the grill and let it cool for about 8 minutes.
8. Slice it into thin cubes.
9. Toss it together with all remaining ingredients in a large bowl, and serve it with rice.