Vietnamese Shaking Beef (Bò Lúc Lắc)

Vietnamese shaking beef served in crisp lettuce cups with fresh herbs

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Vietnamese Shaking Beef (Bò Lúc Lắc)

Tender cubes of beef are marinated in a savoury mixture of oyster sauce, soy, fish sauce, garlic and black pepper, then quickly seared with onions. Serve this Vietnamese shaking beef with crisp salad vegetables and a sharp lime-and-pepper dipping sauce.

Prep Time15

Cook Time5

Marination5

Total Time25

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Servings:

Calories: 451kcal

Author: Lee

Ingredients

Marinade

1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
4 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp black pepper
300 g beef steak boneless Ribeye or Sirloin (cut into 3cm cubes (approx 1¼ inches)

Lime dipping Sauce

1 lime (juice of)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp sugar

Other

2 tbsp vegetable oil (for stir-frying)
1 medium onion halved and thickly sliced
3 spring onions (green onion, cut into 1-inch pieces)

Serving accompaniments (optional)

1 baby gem lettuce separated into leaves
Fresh cilantro and/or mint
Tomato sliced
Cucumber sliced

Instructions

Marinate the beef

Combine the oyster sauce, soy sauces, fish sauce, sugar, minced garlic and black pepper. Cut the beef into bite-sized pieces and then toss through the marinade. Set aside briefly to marinate while you make the dipping sauce.

Make the dipping sauce

Whisk together the lime juice, sugar, salt and black pepper. Set aside.

Stir-fry the beef

Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan over a high heat until smoking hot. Tip in the beef and arrange in one layer. Let it fry for 1-2 minutes without touching it, then shake the pan vigorously to move the beef around. Add the yellow and green onions and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes more.
Serve with the dipping sauce and pre-prepared salad vegetables, if using.

Notes

Beef: Use a tender, well-marbled cut such as sirloin or boneless ribeye. Cut it into evenly sized, bite-sized pieces so it cooks quickly and consistently.
Marinating: Marinate the beef for as little as 5 minutes, 15 minutes at the most.
Cooking: Preheat the wok or frying pan until smoking hot. Arrange the beef in one layer and leave it untouched for 1–2 minutes to develop a good sear before tossing. Cook in batches if your pan is small; overcrowding will cause the beef to steam.
Serving: Serve immediately with the dipping sauce. You can also serve with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, coriander and mint. Jasmine rice can be added for a more substantial meal.
Fridge: Refrigerate leftover beef in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Store it separately from the salad and dipping sauce.
Reheating: Reheat the beef quickly in a hot frying pan for 1–2 minutes, until piping hot. Avoid cooking it for too long or it may become tough.
Freezer: Freeze the cooked beef for up to 2 months. Defrost it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Do not freeze the salad vegetables.

Nutrition