Vietnamese Shaking Beef (Bo Luc Lac) Recipe
Vietnamese Shaking Beef, or Bo Luc Lac, is a vibrant stir-fried dish featuring tender cubes of marinated sirloin seared to perfection and served atop fresh watercress and tomatoes. This recipe combines savory, tangy, and slightly sweet flavors and is accompanied by a refreshing rice vinegar vinaigrette, pickled red onions, and a zesty lime dipping sauce, resulting in a deliciously balanced Vietnamese classic.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients
Scale
Marinade
- 1 ½ lbs beef top sirloin, fat trimmed and cut into 1″ cubes
- 5 cloves crushed garlic
- 1 tablespoon agave or sugar
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon thick soy sauce, or low sodium soy sauce
Vinaigrette
- ½ cup rice vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoons sugar or agave
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
Dipping Sauce
- 1 lime, juice of
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
Salad
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 4 cups watercress leaves or mixed baby greens
- 2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil, divided
Instructions
- Marinate the Beef: In a large bowl, combine the beef cubes with crushed garlic, agave or sugar, oyster sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Mix well to coat the beef evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight for best flavor infusion.
- Prepare the Vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together rice vinegar, sugar or agave, and kosher salt until the sugar and salt dissolve forming a balanced sour, salty, and sweet dressing.
- Pickle the Red Onions: Thinly slice the red onion and place in a bowl with about ¼ cup of the vinaigrette. Cover and refrigerate for about 10 minutes to lightly pickle the onions.
- Prepare the Salad Base: On a serving platter, arrange the watercress leaves or mixed greens and thinly sliced tomatoes to create a fresh bed for the beef.
- Make the Dipping Sauce: In a small ramekin, combine lime juice with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to create a tangy, salty dipping sauce.
- Heat the Pan: Warm a large wok or heavy skillet over high heat until very hot, almost smoking.
- Sear the Beef – First Batch: Add ½ tablespoon of the avocado oil to the hot pan. When the oil begins to smoke, add half of the beef in a single even layer. Allow it to sear without stirring for about 2 minutes. Then vigorously shake or toss the pan to flip the beef cubes and sear the other sides for an additional 1-2 minutes until nicely browned. Remove the beef and set aside.
- Sear the Beef – Second Batch: Add the remaining ½ tablespoon of avocado oil to the pan and repeat the searing process with the remaining beef cubes. Once cooked, remove from heat.
- Assemble the Dish: Transfer all the seared beef onto the prepared bed of watercress and tomatoes. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette evenly over the beef and greens, then top with the pickled red onions.
- Serve: Present the dish with the lime dipping sauce on the side and enjoy immediately for the best flavor and texture.
Notes
- For best results, marinate the beef overnight to enhance flavor and tenderness.
- Use a very hot pan to achieve a nice sear and caramelization on the beef cubes.
- If watercress is unavailable, substitute with other peppery greens or mixed baby greens.
- You can adjust the sweetness in the vinaigrette and marinade by adding more or less sugar or agave according to your taste.
- Serve with steamed jasmine rice for a complete meal.
Keywords: Vietnamese Shaking Beef, Bo Luc Lac, stir-fry beef recipe, Vietnamese beef recipe, quick beef stir fry, marinated beef cubes, watercress salad, lime dipping sauce