Shaking Beef (Bò Lúc Lắc ) Recipe
Shaking Beef (Bò Lúc Lắc ) is a simple dish with amazing robust flavours of tender, moist, cubed filet mignon with garlic, watercress and red onions. This dish is one of the most famous at world famous The Slanted Door restaurant in San Frasncisco-where it costs $23 for less than half the amount made by this recipe. You can easily make it at home for far less than that amount.

Ingredients
Meat:
1 pound beef (filet or sirloin, tender, good quality meat)
2 tablespoons canola oil**
2 tablespoons nuoc nam, Vietnamese fish sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoons garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon date palm sugar
2 bunches watercress, stems removed, about 5 cups or 1 small head red leaf lettuce
2 white or red sweet onions, cut in half and thinly sliced (sometimes I use 4 shallots)
4 plum tomatoes, cut into quarters *optional
Cut the beef into 1-inch cubes.
Vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons date palm sugar
3 tablespoons rice wine
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
2 teaspoons fish sauce
Dipping Sauce:
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh black pepper
The Stir-Fry
2 tablespoons canola cooking oil
3 stalks green onion, cut into 1” pieces
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 bunches watercress
Directions
Place marinade ingredients in a glass or plastic container that has a tight fitting top or a heavy zip-lock plastic bag. Combine the oil, the fish
sauce, black pepper, oyster sauce, garlic and sugar.
Mix well until the sugar is dissolved, then add the beef cubes.
Cover the container and shake the cubes to evenly coat the meat. Leave the cover on and let the container sit in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
Prepare vinaigrette by combining rice vinegar, sugar, rice wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and fish sauce. Sit aside.
Wash the watercress throughly to remove all sand and grit. Arrange the watercress on a large serving platter or dish.
Heat a wok over high heat. Divide beef, green onions and red onions in half, as you will cook in two batches.
Add 2 tablespoons oil to the wok. When the oil starts to smoke, add first portion of the beef in an even layer. Let it sit until it forms a brown crust, about 2 minutes. With a spatula, flip the beef over to brown the other side, about 1 minute.
Add first portion of the green onions and red onions and cook for 1 more minute. Pour half of vinaigrette down the side of the wok, and then shake pan to release the beef and toss with the vinaigrette. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and continue to shake pan until butter melts. Remove the meat and onions from the wok. Keep warm.
Repeat these steps again with the second portion of meat, green onions and red onions. Place the watercress in the middle of the serving plate and spoon hot beef and onions on top.
Prepare dipping sauce by putting salt and pepper in small ramekin and squeezing lime juice over it.
Serve alongside the beef.
Serves 4.
Optional: Serve with small bowls of steamed jasmine rice.
**Tip for special flavour saute 2 thinly sliced shallots in canola oil, drain, and use this flavourful aromatic oil for stirfrying the Shaking Beef in oil.
sauce, black pepper, oyster sauce, garlic and sugar.
Mix well until the sugar is dissolved, then add the beef cubes.
Cover the container and shake the cubes to evenly coat the meat. Leave the cover on and let the container sit in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
Prepare vinaigrette by combining rice vinegar, sugar, rice wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and fish sauce. Sit aside.
Wash the watercress throughly to remove all sand and grit. Arrange the watercress on a large serving platter or dish.
Heat a wok over high heat. Divide beef, green onions and red onions in half, as you will cook in two batches.
Add 2 tablespoons oil to the wok. When the oil starts to smoke, add first portion of the beef in an even layer. Let it sit until it forms a brown crust, about 2 minutes. With a spatula, flip the beef over to brown the other side, about 1 minute.
Add first portion of the green onions and red onions and cook for 1 more minute. Pour half of vinaigrette down the side of the wok, and then shake pan to release the beef and toss with the vinaigrette. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and continue to shake pan until butter melts. Remove the meat and onions from the wok. Keep warm.
Repeat these steps again with the second portion of meat, green onions and red onions. Place the watercress in the middle of the serving plate and spoon hot beef and onions on top.
Prepare dipping sauce by putting salt and pepper in small ramekin and squeezing lime juice over it.
Serve alongside the beef.
Serves 4.
Optional: Serve with small bowls of steamed jasmine rice.
**Tip for special flavour saute 2 thinly sliced shallots in canola oil, drain, and use this flavourful aromatic oil for stirfrying the Shaking Beef in oil.
Comments
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jtao says :
This is a fabulous recipe. I am Vietnamese and it tastes exactly as my mom would make it. I had all the ingredients on hand so it was super easy to make. Thanks again for the great recipe.
Posted on: 4 July 2008 - 6:38pm
jtao says :
This is a fabulous recipe. I am Vietnamese and it tastes exactly as my mom would make it. I had all the ingredients on hand so it was super easy to make. Thanks again for the great recipe.
Posted on: 4 July 2008 - 6:38pm
shantihhh says :
Vietnamese use beef, and beef, and beef, but that being said I think lamb would be fabulous this way! I love lamb! I wouldn't use goat/mutton as it would be too dry and not tender enough. Lamb and onion love each other! This must be a really tender cut of meat.
Shanti/Mary-Anne
Posted on: 27 February 2008 - 1:00am
info says :
Would I be able to use lamb or mutton instead of beef? Or any meat instead of beef?
Posted on: 27 February 2008 - 12:19am