Name: Bo Luc Lac Recipe (Vietnamese Shaken Beef)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 2/3 lb beef sirloin steak, chopped into bite-sized chunks; ¼ ripe pineapple, chopped into ¼’’ thick, bite-sized slices (optional); 1 ripe tomato, chopped into thin wedges; 2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced; 2 Thai bird chiles (or any hot chilie), chopped; 3 cups watercress, rinsed and torn into bite-sized sprigs; ¼ red onion, longitudinally cut into thin slices; ½ cup Asian basil leaves, halved; 2 tsp soy sauce; 1 bsp fish sauce; 1 tbsp oyster sauce; 1 ½ tbsp fresh lime juice; 3 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 tbsp sugar

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Bo Luc Lac ( bò lúc lắc,), also known as Vietnamese Shaken Beef, or Shaking beef, and pronounced “baw look laahk.” Is a tender marinated Vietnamese beef dish. It is one of the ten most popular meat dishes in Vietnam.

The recipe is quick and easy to make, and Bo Luc Lac makes for a great lunch or dinner.

Vietnamese Bo Luc Lac

Meaning of Bo Luc Lac (Vietnamese Shaken Beef)

The meaning of Bo Luc Lac is literally “beef shake.” “Bo” in the Vietnamese language is cow or beef and and “luc lac” refers to the shaking the beef in a wok while it is cooking. Hence the English names of shaking or shaken beef.

About the Bo Luc Lac Recipe

This recipe features marinated beef cubes that are stir-fried and the served with onions. It is traditionally served over or beside a salad of watercress or basil with other vegetables such as cucumber and tomato. But it can alternately be served over rice or noodles.

The recipe ca also be served with sliced pineapple.

I personally put a lot of garlic in before stir frying.

Bo Luc Lac marinade with garlic

Be sure to give the meat a good sear. That is what all that shaking of the beef is for!

Try serving Vietnamese shaken beef with fried brown rice, or Mee Krob crispy noodles.

Try some Korean Injeolmi Rice Cakes for dessert!

Vietnamese Shaken Beef

Below is the recipe:

Bo Luc Lac Recipe (Vietnamese Shaken Beef)

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Vietnamese stir fry shaken beef is a great easy dish for dinner or lunch

Ingredients

2/3 lb beef sirloin steak, chopped into bite-sized chunks
¼ ripe pineapple, chopped into ¼’’ thick, bite-sized slices (optional)
1 ripe tomato, chopped into thin wedges
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
2 Thai bird chiles (or any hot chilie), chopped
3 cups watercress, rinsed and torn into bite-sized sprigs
¼ red onion, longitudinally cut into thin slices
½ cup Asian basil leaves, halved
2 tsp soy sauce
1 bsp fish sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 ½ tbsp fresh lime juice
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp sugar

Instructions

Pour the fish sauce and lime juice onto a large bowl and stir in the chiles and sugar until the latter dissolves, set aside.
Pour the soy sauce as well as oyster sauce into a medium bowl and give it a quick whisk to mix well.
Toss the beef chunks into the bowl and stir them all together to coat well with the marinade.
Drizzle oil in a large skillet and heat it over high flame until it starts shimmering.
Throw in the garlic and stir fry briskly for 10 seconds or until it gives out a characteristic aroma.
Place the beef into it and sauté them for a couple of minutes, stirring often, until they get seared along their edges.
Transfer them into the bowl with the lime juice-fish sauce mixture and throw in the pineapple slices.
Scatter the red onion and Asian basil leaves over them and toss them well together to mix well.
Arrange a bed of watercress leaves on the serving platter and top it up with the tomato wedges.
Pile up the beef mixture onto the watercress-tomato bed and drizzle the dressing over them.
Serve alongside steamed rice or warm baguette.