Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat

Vietnamese Water Spinach and Beef Stir-Fry

越式通菜炒牛肉

Vietnamese Water Spinach and Beef Stir-Fry — finished dish

Total time: 27 min
Difficulty: Medium
Servings: 4 servings

Recipe overview

This Vietnamese stir-fry cooks beef first, then garlic and water spinach, and combines them at the end for tender beef and crisp greens.

01

Ingredients

Main ingredients

400 g Water spinach
300 g Thinly sliced beef
4 cloves Garlic

Stir-fry sauce

1 tbsp Oyster sauce
1 tsp Fish sauce
½ tsp Sugar
2 tbsp Water

Oil for stir-frying

2 tbsp, added in batches Neutral cooking oil

Vietnamese Water Spinach and Beef Stir-Fry — ingredients

02

Tools

Wok and spatula
Knife and two cutting boards
Two mixing bowls
Tongs
Food thermometer

Vietnamese Water Spinach and Beef Stir-Fry — tools

03

Steps

Vietnamese Water Spinach and Beef Stir-Fry — Wash greens

Step 1

Wash greens

Wash water spinach leaves and stems thoroughly under clean water.

Vietnamese Water Spinach and Beef Stir-Fry — Drain greens

Step 2

Drain greens

Drain water spinach in a colander to reduce oil splashes.

Vietnamese Water Spinach and Beef Stir-Fry — Cut greens

Step 3

Cut greens

Trim tough stem ends and cut water spinach into about 8 cm lengths.

Vietnamese Water Spinach and Beef Stir-Fry — Slice beef

Step 4

Slice beef

On a separate raw-meat board, cut beef thinly across the grain.

Vietnamese Water Spinach and Beef Stir-Fry — Mince garlic

Step 5

Mince garlic

Mince garlic on the vegetable board; wash hands after handling raw beef.

Vietnamese Water Spinach and Beef Stir-Fry — Mix sauce

Step 6

Mix sauce

Combine oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar and water.

Vietnamese Water Spinach and Beef Stir-Fry — Season beef

Step 7

Season beef

Mix about 1 tsp sauce into beef; reserve the rest for the final stir-fry.

Vietnamese Water Spinach and Beef Stir-Fry — Heat wok

Step 8

Heat wok

Heat wok over medium-high heat and add about 1 tbsp oil.

Vietnamese Water Spinach and Beef Stir-Fry — Cook beef

Step 9

Cook beef

Stir-fry beef in batches until fully cooked; confirm the centre reaches at least 75°C with a clean food thermometer, cooking longer if needed.

Vietnamese Water Spinach and Beef Stir-Fry — Remove beef

Step 10

Remove beef

Transfer cooked beef to a clean bowl with clean tongs, away from raw-meat tools.

Vietnamese Water Spinach and Beef Stir-Fry — Stir-fry garlic and greens

Step 11

Stir-fry garlic and greens

Add remaining oil, briefly fry garlic, then add water spinach and cook until leaves wilt and stems are thoroughly cooked.

Vietnamese Water Spinach and Beef Stir-Fry — Combine and serve

Step 12

Combine and serve

Return cooked beef with remaining sauce; toss quickly until sauce boils, then serve.

Common mistakes

Crowding beef in the wok makes it steam instead of cook evenly; colour alone does not confirm the centre is safe.

Tips

Oyster and fish sauces contain seafood allergens; some oyster sauces also contain soy or wheat, so check packaging. Separate raw and cooked tools.