How to Make Vietnamese Beef and Pickled Mustard Greens Fried Rice

Prepare the Rice

Crack the eggs into the bowl of rice, add 2 tablespoons of annatto oil, 1 tablespoon of MSG, and 1/2 tablespoon of salt. Mix well until evenly combined.

Prepare the Beef and Pickled Mustard Greens

Rinse the pickled mustard greens to reduce excess salt and sourness, then drain and chop them. If the greens are too salty or sour, soak them in rice water for a while, then rinse, squeeze out excess water, and mix with a bit of MSG and sugar.

Slice the beef thinly and marinate it with 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of MSG, 1/3 tablespoon of seasoning powder, 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Mix well and let the beef absorb the flavors for 20-30 minutes.

To keep the beef tender yet firm and prevent it from releasing water during stir-frying, remember to marinate it with cooking oil and sugar.

Peel and mince the garlic. Clean and crush the ginger, then mince it. Add a bit of both to the beef marinade for extra fragrance.

For the remaining ingredients, peel and thinly slice the shallots. Some will be used to stir-fry the beef and mustard greens, while the rest will be fried to make crispy shallots, which will be sprinkled over the fried rice when serving.

Clean and chop the green onions. Cut the white parts into finger-length pieces to stir-fry with the beef, and finely chop the green parts to sprinkle over the fried rice.

Wash and slice the fresh chilies at an angle.

Fry the Shallots

Add cooking oil to a pan—enough to fully submerge the shallots. Add the sliced shallots to the cold oil, then turn on the heat and fry over medium-low heat. Fry until the shallots turn a light golden color, then slightly increase the heat. Turn off the heat and continue stirring until the shallots turn golden brown, then immediately remove them and place them on paper towels to drain the excess oil.

Avoid frying the shallots until they are deep golden brown because the residual heat will continue cooking them, which could cause them to burn after being removed from the oil.

Fry the Rice

Add a bit of the oil used for frying the shallots to a pan, just enough to coat the surface. Heat the oil, then add the egg-coated rice. Stir continuously over high heat to keep the rice fluffy and dry. When the rice starts to firm up, add 2-3 more tablespoons of shallot oil evenly across the rice and continue frying.

Fry until the rice grains are fluffy and glossy, then add 1 teaspoon of fish sauce to enhance the aroma. Adjust the amount of fish sauce to your taste, but the rice shouldn't be too salty since it will be served with beef and mustard greens. Finally, sprinkle with chopped green onions and a bit of ground pepper, mix well, then turn off the heat. Transfer the fried rice to a plate and top with crispy fried shallots.

Stir-Fry the Beef and Pickled Mustard Greens

Add 1.5 tablespoons of cooking oil to a pan, heat it, then sauté the garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add the marinated beef and stir-fry quickly over high heat. Stir-fry until the beef turns light pink and is almost cooked, then remove it from the pan and set aside.

The key to a delicious beef and pickled mustard greens stir-fry is to cook the beef separately to keep it tender and avoid overcooking.

Add 4 tablespoons of shallot oil to the pan, sauté the sliced shallots, then add the tomatoes. To enhance the flavor and help the tomatoes soften quickly, add a pinch of salt.

To prevent the pickled mustard greens from releasing too much water, stir-fry over high heat.

Season to taste with oyster sauce, MSG, and sugar.