Vietnamese Shaking Beef Recipe (Thit Bo Luc Lac)
Vietnamese Shaking Beef (Bo Luc Lac) served with a lime-salt-and-pepper dipping sauce
The first time I had Vietnamese Shaking Beef or Bo Luc Lac was in Mui Ne, Vietnam, a beach resort town outside of Saigon/Ho Chi Minh city. We were close to our resort when we pulled over to a random beach-front restaurant to freshen up and fill our bellies. In the beautiful country of Vietnam and in the city of seafood galore, I ordered a hamburger. You live and learn.
Luckily, my husband ordered Shaking Beef and naively offered me a bite. After one bite of this flavorful Vietnamese dish of seared beef cubes, I tossed my hamburger aside. I slid his plate over to me and finished his food like a stealth ninja.
Vietnamese Shaking Beef (Bo Luc Lac)
Vietnamese Shaking Beef (Bo Luc Lac) dipped in a lime-salt-pepper sauce.
What is Shaking Beef?
Shaking Beef (Bo Luc Lac in Vietnamese or Beef Lok Lak in Khmer) is a french-inspired dish of wok-seared cubed steak that’s been marinated in a soy-based sauce then quickly sauteed with garlic, onion, and butter.
Lúc Lắc means to shake in Vietnamese. The dish got its name from the constant shaking of the wok that’s needed to get a nice crust on each individual steak cube.
The wok-seared beef is served on a bed of lettuce, watercress, tomato and/or cucumbers, and lime-salt-and-pepper dipping sauce on the side. You can have it on its own as an appetizer or with steamed rice for a complete meal.
Bo Luc Lac is not a common home-cooked dish. It's more of a celebratory dish that is eaten as an appetizer. However, nowadays, you now can find Bo Luc Lac served with rice in many Vietnamese restaurants.
Vietnamese Shaking Beef (Bo Luc Lac)
Vietnamese Shaking Beef (Bo Luc Lac)
What Beef Cut to use for Shaking Beef?
When making this dish, use a good-quality steak. High-end restaurants opt for the fancy cuts such as filet mignon for a tender and juicy steak. But you can also use less expensive cuts like sirloins or tri-tips. You may have to chew a little more, but the flavor is all the same.
To start, trim off any excess fat, and cut the steak into 1-inch cubes. Alternatively, you can leave the steak whole so that you don’t have to do a lot of shaking, then slice it up into cubes later. However, that wouldn’t be as fun.
Vietnamese Shaking Beef (Bo Luc Lac) Ingredients
Vietnamese Shaking Beef (Bo Luc Lac) Ingredients
Vietnamese Shaking Beef (Bo Luc Lac) Marinade
Vietnamese Shaking Beef (Bo Luc Lac)
Vietnamese Shaking Beef Recipe (Bò Lúc Lắc)
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a large bowl, marinate beef with sugar, salt, black pepper, and minced garlic for at least 10 minutes. In a small bowl, make the sauce by mixing together soy sauce, fish sauce, honey, rice vinegar, and sugar. Add sugar a little at a time to taste. Leave out the aromatics (onions and garlic) at this point.
- In a large skillet or wok, heat up vegetable oil on high. Add the beef cubes and sear on all sides by shaking the beef until medium rare. It's highly recommended to do this in batches to get a nice sear without overcooking. No more than 3 minutes total. Transfer beef to a plate and set aside.
- To the now empty skillet, add butter. Once melted, add onions and garlic. Sautee until fragrant (about 1-2 minutes). Add sauce mixture and seared beef cubes. Toss until nicely coated. Transfer beef and sauce onto a bed of lettuce, tomatoes, and/or cucumbers. Serve shaking beef with rice, and optional dipping sauce by mixing together lime juice, salt, and pepper.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
971Fat
60 gSat. Fat
22 gCarbs
21 gFiber
1 gNet carbs
20 gSugar
16 gProtein
84 gSodium
2327 mgCholesterol
299 mgThe values provided should be considered estimates. Factors such as brands purchased, natural variations in fresh ingredients, etc. will change the nutritional information in any recipe. To obtain accurate nutritional information for a recipe, use your preferred nutrition calculator to determine nutritional information with the actual ingredients and quantities used.
