Bò lúc lắc (Vietnamese shaking beef)
Bò lúc lắc: seared beef cubes on watercress and tomato
Bò lúc lắc, shaking beef, is a Saigon dish from the French-influenced south, ordered at family dinners and celebrations: cubes of tender steak seared in a smoking pan and shaken with garlic and onion, then tipped over peppery watercress and tomato with a lime, salt and pepper dip. The mistake almost everyone makes is crowding the pan, which boils the meat grey instead of searing it; cook in two batches. Chef's tip: let the cubes sit untouched for a full minute before the first shake to build a dark crust.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 3
Ingredients
For the beef
- 16 oz sirloin or rump steaktrimmed, cut into 2.5 cm cubes
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp black peppercoarsely ground
- 4 garlic clovesfinely chopped
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp butter (optional)or 1 tbsp more oil
For the vegetables
- 1 red onioncut into wedges
- 1 red pepper (optional)cut into squares
- 2 ⅞ oz watercress
- 2 tomatoessliced
For the dip
- 1 limejuiced
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Toss 16 oz sirloin or rump steak with 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp fish sauce, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp black pepper and half of 2 garlic cloves. Leave for 10 minutes in the fridge while you arrange 2 ⅞ oz watercress and 2 tomatoes on a platter and stir 1 lime, ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper together in a small dish.
10 minStep 2: Heat half of 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy frying pan or wok over the highest heat until smoking. Add half the beef in one layer and leave untouched for 1 minute, then shake the pan and sear for another minute until browned on all sides but still pink inside. Tip out and repeat with the rest.
5 minStep 3: Add the rest of 1 tbsp vegetable oil to the pan with 1 red onion, 1 red pepper and the rest of 2 garlic cloves and toss for 1–2 minutes until the onion is just softened at the edges.
2 minStep 4: Return all the beef with 1 tbsp butter if using, shake for 30 seconds until glossy, and pile it over the watercress. Serve at once with the lime dip and rice.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 33 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bò lúc lắc (Vietnamese shaking beef) take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 3 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of oyster sauce?
- Hoisin sauce, same amount (sweeter).
- What can I use instead of soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
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