Name: Vietnamese Shaking Beef “Bo Luc Lac”
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon fish sauce; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) oyster sauce; 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce; 1 teaspoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 pound (500 g) beef rib eye, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) cubes (see Note); 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil; 2 tablespoon (28 g) butter; 1 onion, sliced; 2 clove garlic, minced; Dipping Sauce (optional, see Note); 2 tablespoon (30 ml) lime juice; 1 tablespoon (12 g) ground black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon salt; To Serve; Lettuce; Tomato, sliced; Cucumber, sliced; 4 servings cooked rice

Vietnamese Shaking Beef “Bo Luc Lac”

By: Sha Jumari, excerpted from Effortless Asian Cooking

Vietnamese Shaking Beef Bo Luc Lac

By: Sha Jumari, excerpted from Effortless Asian Cooking

Imagine seared fatty rib eye with umami-rich aromatic undertones . . . this is Vietnamese shaking beef, or bo luc lac! The name “shaking beef ” comes from the unique cooking technique—a rhythmic shake of the wok to efficiently achieve a perfect sear on each delightful cube. In this rendition, we don’t waste any of that beefy fat leftover in the wok; instead we make a buttery sauce for extra indulgence in just a few extra minutes. This is one of my go-to recipes when I crave an indulgent yet quick culinary delight!

Yields4 servings

Preparation Time10 min

Cooking Time10 min

Ingredients

1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon (15 ml) oyster sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound (500 g) beef rib eye, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) cubes (see Note)
1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil
2 tablespoons (28 g) butter
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Dipping Sauce (optional, see Note)
2 tablespoons (30 ml) lime juice
1 tablespoon (12 g) ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
To Serve
Lettuce
Tomato, sliced
Cucumber, sliced
4 servings cooked rice

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine the fish sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar and black pepper in a small bowl. Place the beef in a medium-sized bowl and pour the sauce on the beef cubes and mix to evenly coat. Let marinate for 5 minutes.
Place a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add the oil and allow it to heat up. Once hot, add the marinated beef cubes. Spread the cubes out in an even layer and allow to sit for 1 minute, before tossing the beef cubes for an even sear for about 2 to 3 minutes. Use two spatulas for easier tossing. You can keep tossing until all sides are evenly seared or use tongs to flip the beef. Once seared, remove from the wok and set aside.
In the same wok, add the butter, onion and garlic. Sauté until fragrant, making sure to scrape the bottom of the wok with your spatula to lift off any beefy flavors with the sauce. Add the beef cubes back into the pan and stir-fry for 10 seconds to coat with the sauce. Immediately turn off the heat and remove from the pan.
In a separate bowl, make the dipping sauce by combining the lime juice, pepper and salt. This sauce is optional.
In a serving bowl or plate, arrange lettuce, tomato and cucumber. Scoop the bo luc lac over the salad. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce and a side of rice.

Note: When purchasing steaks, make sure they are at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. This would make cutting them into cubes easier later. Rib eye steaks work best for this to get even fat running throughout the cubes, but I like this with sirloin too.

Fatty beef cubes in a buttery savory sauce—this is a rich dish! The acidity and spice of the dipping sauce is going to help cut through the richness so you can have more bites!