Beef Loc Lac

For dinner tonight I cooked up some beef loc lac. It's a Cambodian-French dish that I learned how to make from Lediya's cousin Phidel. Over time I've added my own twists to the dish but basically the premise is the same: marinated stir-fried beef served on a bed of leafy vegetables with a citrus dressing. My variation makes the dish a bit healthier by substituting spinach for lettuce and serving it with brown rice.

For the marinade:
1/2 lb. beef tenderloin, cut into bite-sized cubes
1 tbsp. each of the following: soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and sugar
Pinch of salt and 1/3 tsp of freshly ground black pepper

For the vegetables:
1/2 bunch spinach, stems removed, rinsed and drained
2 tomatoes, cut into salad sized pieces
1 brown onion, sliced into rings
1 tbsp olive oil

For the citrus dressing:
Juices of 1 lime and 1 lemon
1 tbsp of orange juice
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of salt to taste

Combine the beef and the soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and black pepper in a bowl. Marinade in the fridge for at least 1 hour. While waiting, arrange the spinach and the tomatoes on a serving dish, season lightly with salt and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Refrigerate.

Make the dressing by combining all of the ingredients and mixing well. Refrigerate.

After 1 hour and using a hot wok, sautee the minced garlic for 20 seconds and then add the marinated beef. Very high heat is required so that the meat will cook quickly without bleeding out too much juice. Cook to the desired doneness and tenderness and then remove from the wok. Sautee the onion slices until they are soft and sweet and re-add the beef to the wok to cook for 30 more seconds. Remove the beef and onions from the wok and place directly on the serving dish with the spinach and tomatoes. Serve with the citrus dressing. Enjoy!