The mixed salads with delicious, sweet and sour flavors are one of the perfect choices to balance the taste and create a delicious meal for the family. Today, let’s join TasteVN in the kitchen and showcase our skills by preparing 2 dishes of Japanese watercress salad with beef and pig’s ears to treat the family!
1. Japanese watercress salad with beef
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Preparation
20 minutes
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Cooking
30 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Japanese watercress salad with beef For 4 people
Japanese watercress 500 gr Beef 500 gr Onion 1 bulb Tomato 2 fruits Soy sauce 1 tablespoon Minced garlic A little Minced shallot A little Minced chili A little Cooking oil 2 tablespoons Fish sauce 2 tablespoons Lemon juice 1 tablespoon Common seasoning A little (sugar/salt/seasoning powder/msg/pepper)
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose fresh beef
- Fresh beef always has a red color with white streaks interspersed, while the fat is bright yellow. The muscle fibers are small, and it looks not too smooth.
- When pressing on the meat, you can feel its firmness, it should not be mushy and should have good elasticity.
- Avoid buying meat that has turned pale green or dark red, with dark yellow fat, especially if there are tiny spots on the surface and feels slimy to the touch.
- Additionally, avoid buying meat that has a strong unpleasant odor, as it indicates the meat has been stored for too long.
See details: How to choose fresh beef
How to choose fresh tomatoes
- Choose tomatoes that are red, plump, and have thin, shiny skin.
- Pick tomatoes with green stems firmly attached, as these are freshly harvested and will be delicious.
- Avoid buying tomatoes that are unevenly colored when ripe, and if they feel soft and mushy to the touch, lacking firmness.
How to prepare Japanese watercress salad with beef
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Prepare and marinate the beef
To remove dirt and eliminate the odor, rub salt on the beef for about 5 minutes, then rinse with clean water, drain, and cut into bite-sized pieces.
Methods to remove the odor from beef
- Method 1: Soak the beef in white wine for 15 minutes and then rinse with clean water.
- Method 2: Place the beef in a pot of water, heat it for about 3 – 5 minutes and then take it out to rinse, which will reduce the smell. Note that you should only heat it to about 50 degrees Celsius, not boil it.
- Method 3: Use lemon or vinegar to rub on the beef for 5 – 7 minutes and then rinse with clean water.
- Method 4: Roast a piece of ginger, then crush it, rub it on the beef, and rinse it clean.
See details: Effective and easy ways to prepare and remove the odor from beef
Place the beef in a bowl and marinate it with 1/2 tablespoon of minced garlic and 1/2 tablespoon of minced shallots, 1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, and a little pepper.
Mix well and marinate for about 15 – 20 minutes for the beef to absorb the spices.
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Prepare the other ingredients
After buying watercress, you should remove any wilted or bruised leaves, and cut off any tough stems (if any). Then soak it in diluted salt water for about 5 minutes and rinse it with clean water, then let it dry.
Wash the tomatoes, and cut them into round slices about 1/2 finger thick. Peel the onion, cut it into wedges, then separate it into thin layers by hand.
How to reduce the pungency and spiciness of onions
- After cutting the onions, you can soak them in ice water for about 10 minutes. This method will help reduce the concentration of the compounds found in onions.
- Additionally, for mixed salads, after slicing, you should soak the onions in a bowl of water mixed with a little lemon or vinegar (which is sour) for about 15 minutes; the sour water will reduce the pungency of the onions.
See details: How to make onions and shallots less pungent in no time
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Stir-fried beef
Put a pan on the stove, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and heat it up, then add a little minced garlic and onion to sauté until fragrant.
When the ingredients are fragrant, add all the marinated beef, stir-fry over medium heat for about 15 minutes until the beef is fully cooked, then transfer it to a plate.
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Make the dipping sauce
In a bowl, add 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, and 4 tablespoons of water, then stir well until the ingredients are completely dissolved.
Finally, add a little minced garlic and a little minced chili to the bowl, stir well to combine.
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Completion
Arrange the tomatoes and watercress on a plate, then place the beef on top and decorate it nicely to finish.
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Final Product
Japanese watercress salad with beef – a dish full of flavor and color that will surely help your family change their taste and have a warm, happy meal together.
The mixed salad has a balanced salty, sweet, sour, and spicy flavor, with tender beef infused with spices combined with the crunchy sweetness of watercress and the fresh taste of tomatoes, all together creating the success of the dish.
This dish is great to enjoy with shrimp chips or white rice, dipped in a little sweet and sour fish sauce just mixed. Let’s enjoy it right away!
2. Japanese watercress salad with pig’s ear
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Preparation
30 minutes
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Cooking
45 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Japanese Watercress Salad with Pig Ears Serves 4 people
Japanese Watercress 400 gr Shrimp 500 gr Pig Ears 1 piece Onion 1 bulb Shallots 10 bulbs Ginger 2 slices Vinegar 215 ml Chili 1 piece Vietnamese Mint A little Rice Paddy Herb A little Chopped Chili 1/2 tablespoon Chopped Garlic 1 tablespoon Rock Sugar 150 gr Fish Sauce 2.5 tablespoons Calamondin Juice A little Roasted Peanuts A little Common Seasoning A little (sugar/salt/seasoning powder) Cooking Oil 50 ml
How to Choose Fresh Ingredients
How to Choose Fresh Pig Ears
- You should choose pig ears that are bright white in color; when held, the meat should feel firm, not soft, mushy, or slimy.
- Fresh pig ears should have good elasticity, and when you press lightly on them, they should spring back.
- Additionally, freshly slaughtered pig ears usually do not have any foul or strange odors.
- Absolutely do not buy pig ears that have dark spots, are chipped, or are not intact.
See details: How to choose good quality pig ears
How to choose fresh and delicious shrimp
- Fresh and delicious shrimp will have a translucent color and cling tightly to the shrimp’s body. Do not buy shrimp with discolored legs or loose attachments.
- Pay attention to buy shrimp with a slightly curved body, firm flesh, intact shell, and the head tightly attached to the body.
- Do not buy shrimp with a flared, loose tail, missing tail fins, and not neatly arranged. It is possible that the shrimp were caught a long time ago and soaked in preservatives.
See details: How to choose fresh shrimp
How to prepare Japanese watercress salad with pig’s ears
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Prepare pig’s ears and shrimp
To thoroughly remove dirt and odor, after purchasing, clean the pig’s ears by scraping off the hair, then rub them with calamondin juice (or lemon) and salt, and rinse with water.
Next, briefly blanch the pig’s ears in boiling water for about 5 minutes, then rinse with water and let them drain.
How to clean pig’s ears and remove odor- Method 1: After scraping clean the hair and dirt from the pig’s ears, use vinegar or a mixture of salt and calamondin juice to rub thoroughly on the pig’s ears, then rinse clean. Next, soak the pig’s ears in water mixed with calamondin juice or vinegar for about 5 minutes, then rinse thoroughly again and let them drain.
- Method 2: Use flour or tapioca starch to scrub vigorously on the pig’s ears to create foam, then use a knife to scrape off this foam, rinse clean. Repeating this process multiple times helps the pig’s ears become white, clean, and odor-free.
- Method 3: Soak the pig’s ears in rice water for about 10 minutes, then take the pig’s ears out, scrape off the dirt, rinse briefly, and use a piece of lemon to scrub the surface of the meat until clean, then rinse again and let it drain.
See more: How to clean pig’s ears, odor-free
For the shrimp, gently squeeze the body to expose the intestinal vein slightly, then use your hand to pull it out. After that, rinse the shrimp and let them drain.
How to quickly and correctly remove the shrimp’s intestinal vein
- Count backwards from the shrimp’s tail to the second groove connecting the two shell segments, pierce a toothpick through this position and gently pull the black vein out.
- Without needing to cut the back of the shrimp, you can also use a toothpick to pry out the head part of the shrimp body to find the black vein. Gently pull this black vein out with your hand and the shrimp is clean.
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Boil shrimp and pig ears
Put a pot of water on the stove and bring it to a boil, then add the shrimp, cover, and boil for about 10 minutes until the shrimp is cooked evenly. After that, remove the shrimp and soak them in a bowl of ice water for about 5 minutes, then peel off the shells.
Put another pot of water on the stove, add the pig ears, 1 tablespoon of seasoning, a little onion, and a bit of sliced ginger, and boil on high heat for about 25 – 30 minutes until the pig ears are cooked evenly.
Once the pig ears are cooked, remove them and immediately soak them in a bowl of cold ice water for about 10 – 15 minutes, then use a knife to slice them into thin strips for easy eating.
How to boil pig ears to be crispy and not blackened:
- Add a little seasoning, smashed onion, and ginger to the boiling water to help the meat be flavorful and eliminate the smell of the meat after boiling.
- Boil on medium heat until the water boils, then reduce to low heat for about 15 – 20 minutes to ensure the pig ears are cooked evenly.
- When the pig ears are cooked, cover and let them sit in the pot for another 15 minutes, then soak the pig ears in cold ice water to keep them crispy and prevent them from blackening.
- Additionally, you can add a little vinegar to the boiling water, which also helps the pig ears to be whiter and crispier!
View details: How to boil pig ears to be crispy and delicious
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Prepare other ingredients
Watercress bought, pick the leaves and young stems, soak in diluted salt water for about 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with water and drain.
Peel the onion, use a knife to cut into thin round slices, then add 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 tablespoon of vinegar, mix well and marinate for about 10 – 15 minutes.
Remove seeds from chili, cut into small strips. Remove old leaves from Vietnamese coriander and mint (if any), then wash thoroughly and chop finely. Peel the shallots and cut them into thin slices.
Put a pan on the stove, add 50ml of cooking oil and heat it, then add the shallots to the pan and fry until golden and fragrant, then remove and drain the oil.
How to fry shallots crispy and delicious
- Use salt to help shallots become crispy quickly, stabilize the temperature of the shallots, add a little flour to thicken the shallots and keep them whole without breaking during frying.
- You should only fry until the shallots just turn golden and release a fragrant smell, then remove them immediately, as the temperature of the oil will continue to cook the shallots and make them crispier.
- Avoid frying until the shallots are completely golden, as this can cause them to burn.
- To make the shallots crispier, you should divide them into small portions to fry.
See details: How to make crispy fried shallots, simple at home
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Make the dressing
Put 150g of rock sugar and 200ml of vinegar into a pot, then place it on the stove and cook over medium heat until the ingredients are completely dissolved.
Take 4 tablespoons of the mixture of vinegar and sugar just cooked out into a bowl. Add 2.5 tablespoons of fish sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of minced chili, and 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, and stir well, then taste and adjust to your preference to finish.
Tip: For the leftover vinegar-sugar mixture, let it cool completely and store it in a jar with a tight lid, keep it in the refrigerator fridge and use it gradually.
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Marinate pig’s ears
After cutting the pig’s ears, add about 4 tablespoons of vinegar, mix well and let it sit for about 5 minutes.
Tip: Marinating pig’s ears with vinegar helps them become crispy, white, and absorb the flavor better.
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Mix the salad
Put the watercress into a bowl, then add 1 tablespoon of fried onion oil into the pan and mix well.
Tip: Mixing the greens with a bit of fried onion oil helps to make the salad shiny, visually appealing, and tastier.
Next, add sliced onions, pig ears, sliced chili, and shrimp meat, then slowly drizzle the salad dressing over the top, mix well, and adjust the seasoning to taste.
Plate the salad, sprinkle with fried onions, mint, shredded Vietnamese coriander, and roasted peanuts on top, then decorate to make it visually appealing, and it’s done.
Tip:
- To ensure the seasoning is evenly absorbed, you should use a large bowl to make it easier during the mixing process and use your hands to mix well.
- Slowly pour the salad dressing in and adjust the seasoning to your taste. Avoid pouring it all at once as it may make the salad too salty.
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Final product
Pig ears, crunchy sweet shrimp, fresh watercress rich in vitamins all blend harmoniously to create an incredibly delicious salad dish.
This dish is best served with rice, especially on days when you’re tired of fatty meat! Get into the kitchen and showcase your skills right away!
How to choose fresh and delicious Japanese watercress
- Choose to buy vegetables in the morning and pay attention to purchasing at wholesale suppliers to ensure you get the freshest bunches of watercress.
- It is advisable to buy loose watercress instead of bunches, as the middle part can easily become mushy and rotten if the vegetables are bundled for too long. Choose bright green leaves that are not bruised or infested with pests.
- You can buy this Japanese watercress at Japanese grocery stores or large supermarkets. Prices range from 30,000 – 40,000 VND/kg (price updated on 01/05/2021).
So with just a few simple steps, we have created 2 how to make Japanese watercress salad with beef and pig’s ear that are sweet and sour, delicious and nutritious, and can also bring freshness to your family’s meal table. We hope you will be very successful with the above recipes and have warm moments with your loved ones!
*Refer to images and recipes from the YouTube channel: Khuong Nhat Minh and Ut Bay
