Bò Lúc Lắc
What is Bò Lúc Lắc or Vietnamese Shaky Beef?
Bò Lúc Lắc or Vietnamese Shaky Beef is one of the most mouth watering dishes in the Vietnamese Cuisine. Its iconic cubes of beef, marinated in a soy based sauce is typically served over a bed of crispy lettuce, tomatoes, and accompanied by a tangy dipping sauce.
Great for busy nights.
Bò Lúc Lắc is quick and easy to prepare. You can marinade the meat over night for better flavor or at least 30 minutes before cooking. The marinated beef cooks quickly in a super hot wok hence the name “shaky beef.” The skillet is so hot you have to shake it around fast to evenly sear the meat and create a delicious seared flavor.
What to serve with Vietnamese Shaky Beef.
It is very traditional to serve this with a Vietnamese Salad topped with a Pickled Onion Dressing. The result is a delicious and satisfying meal that requires minimal effort but delivers maximum flavor, making it an excellent option for a quick and tasty weeknight dinner.
Key Ingredients
- Beef: I have used flat iron, rib eye, new york, and/or flank steaks and they have all turned out great.
- Oyster Sauce: This sauce provides that indescribable umami flavor. It is similar to the flavor of soy sauce but richer and sweeter. Trust me it does not taste like oysters.
- Soy Sauce: A staple in the Vietnamese kitchen for a rich salty taste. I like to use low sodium.
- Brown Sugar: Regular sugar works to but I like the extra richness and caramel flavor of brown sugar.
- Fish Sauce: A lot of recipes don’t call for fish sauce in Shaky beef but I like the extra depth of flavor the fish sauce provides.
- Butter Oyster Sauce Glaze: I like to finish off my Shaky beef with a butter and oyster sauce glaze to make it extra saucy. If you don’t want to bother with this extra step you can skip it and it will still taste great without the glaze.
Instructions
Cut the meat into 1 inch cubes. Marinade the meat with 2 Tbs Oyster Sauce, 1 TB each of chopped garlic, soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, vegetable oil, 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of black pepper. Marinade overnight or at least 30 minutes before cooking.
In small batches sear the meat in a very hot pan. I use a wok or cast iron skillet. Make sure to shake the meat around the pan quickly so that it sears evenly on all sides.
Once the meat is seared on all sides or cooked a few minutes add the cubed onion and cooke 2-3 minutes more until the meat is medium rare on the inside. Cook longer if you like it more well done.
Right before the meat is done cooking and it has been seared all over, turn off the pan, add 1 TB of butter and 1 tsp of oyster sauce. Swirl it around the pan. This provides a nice finishing glaze to the dish and makes it extra saucy.
Serve the beef with a side salad or just sliced cucumbers and tomatoes.
Bò Lúc Lắc or Shaky Beef
Ingredients
- 1 1/2-2 lbs Steak ( New York, Strip, Ribeye)
- 2 tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Fish Sauce
- 1 tbsp Brown Sugar
- 1 tbsp Chopped Garlic
- 1/2 Yellow Onion Cubed
Butter and Oyster Sauce Glaze
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp oyster sauce
Instructions
- Cut the steak into 1 inch cubes. Marinade the steak with 2 Tbs Oyster Sauce, 1 TB each of chopped garlic, soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, vegetable oil, 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of black pepper. Marinade overnight or at least 30minutes before cooking.
- In small batches sear or brown the meat in a very hot pan. I use a wok or cast iron skillet. Make sure to shake the meat around the pan quickly so that it sears evenly on all sides. Once the meat is seared on all sides or cooked a few minutes add the cubed onion and cooke 2-3 minutes more until the meat is medium rare to medium on the inside. Cook longer if you like it more well done.
- Right before the meat is done cooking and it has been seared all over, turn off the pan, add 1 TB of butter and 1 tsp of oyster sauce. Swirl it around the pan. This provides a nice finishing glaze to the dish and makes it extra saucy.
- Servethe beef with a side salad and steamed white rice.
