Bo Luc Lac Recipe: Vietnamese Beef Dish

I find thịt bò lúc lắc to be a fun-sounding dish. Thịt bò means beef meat in Vietnamese, but the rest of the name of this popular Vietnamese beef dish, ”lúc lắc”, translates to ”shaking” and ”moving back and forth”.

This dish calls for very tender beef. I chose to use small cubes of sirloin beef; you could also use filet mignon. The meat is first immersed in a very traditional Vietnamese marinade, then tossed back and forth in a wok. The cooking time is fairly rapid, so it’s perfect when you’re looking for a quick and easy dinner menu item.

I served the cubed beef on a bed of lettuce, along with caramelized onions and sliced chile peppers. All you need to add is a bowl of steamed jasmine rice and a mixture of lime juice, salt and pepper (the typical dipping sauce that goes with every Vietnamese meal). Enjoy!

1. Info for Bo Luc Lac Recipe: Vietnamese Beef Dish

• Cook Time: unavailable
• Total Time: unavailable
• Servings: 6
• Calories: unavailable

2. Ingredients for Bo Luc Lac Recipe: Vietnamese Beef Dish

• 2-½ pounds tri tip sirloin beef (about 1″ cubes)
• 2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste
• 1 tablespoon palm sugar, grated
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 1-½ tablespoons oyster sauce
• ½ teaspoon mushroom seasoning salt (or regular salt)
• ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 4 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce, for garnish
• 2 jalapeño peppers, thinly sliced

3. Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine the palm sugar, red chili powder, ginger garlic paste, lime juice, baking powder, soy sauce, oyster sauce and 1 tablespoon oil. Place the meat in a sealable plastic bag. Add the marinade, seal and chill for about 1 hour.
2. In a wok, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add the onions and cook until nicely golden (it may take 5-10 minutes). Once the onions are cooked, add the sliced chile peppers. Toss until they’re coated in oil. Drain and reserve the oil and set the caramelized onions and chiles aside.
3. Remove the beef from the refrigerator to bring it back to room temperature. Divide the beef into 2-3 batches. In the same wok, add a little more oil if necessary (I didn’t). Add the first batch of meat; don’t over-crowd the wok. Toss the cubes of beef by moving the pan in a vertical circular motion (the wok should be lifted at a low angle to facilitate the movement) and cook on all sides for about 3-4 minutes (or 6 minutes if you like it well done), depending on how pink you like the inside of the meat, until nicely browned. It’s important that you do not pierce the meat so it stays moist and tender; no utensil necessary. Season with mushroom seasoning salt and black pepper.
4. Wipe the inside of the wok with a paper towel. Add more oil, repeat with the other batches until all the meat is cooked.
5. Transfer the caramelized onions to a large platter. Cover with shredded lettuce. Top with bò lúc lắc. Let the meat sit for at least 5 minutes before eating.
6. You could also add salad xoăn, which is Vietnamese lettuce, steamed jasmine rice and serve a dipping bowl full of lime juice, black pepper and sal