Bo Luc Lac
intro
Southern Vietnamese 'shaking beef' features caramelized seared beef cubes tossed in a glossy savory glaze, served over fresh greens with zesty lime-pepper salt for dipping.
Ingredients
Steps
Marinate the beef cubes
In a large mixing bowl, combine 500g of 2.5cm cubed trimmed sirloin, 9g (3 cloves) minced garlic, 15ml light soy sauce, 15ml oyster sauce, 5g granulated sugar, 1g black pepper, and 10g cornstarch. Toss thoroughly to coat every cube evenly, then cover and refrigerate at 4°C (40°F) for 30 minutes to let flavors absorb.
Prep fresh produce base
While the beef marinates, soak 100g thinly sliced red onion in 15ml rice vinegar for 15 minutes to mellow its sharp raw bite. Arrange washed 150g butterhead lettuce leaves and 200g tomato wedges across a large serving platter to form a bed for the beef, then drain the pickled onion and scatter over the greens.
Mix stir-fry glaze
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 30ml light soy sauce, 15ml oyster sauce, 15ml dark soy sauce, 10g granulated sugar, and 0.5g black pepper until the sugar fully dissolves. Set the mixed sauce within arm’s reach of the stovetop for quick access during high-heat cooking.
Sear beef in batches
Heat 15ml canola oil in a 30cm cast iron or carbon steel skillet over high heat (220°C/425°F) until the oil shimmers and just begins to smoke. Add half the marinated beef in a single uncrowded layer, searing undisturbed for 1.5 minutes to build a deep brown crust, then flip cubes and sear the opposite side for 1 minute. Transfer seared beef to a clean plate, add the remaining 15ml oil, and repeat searing with the second batch of beef.
Toss beef with glaze
Return all seared beef to the hot skillet, add the remaining 9g (3 cloves) minced garlic, and stir continuously over high heat for 30 seconds until garlic is fragrant. Pour the pre-mixed glaze into the pan, add 15g unsalted butter, and shake the pan vigorously (the motion that gives the dish its 'shaking' name) for 45 seconds until every beef cube is coated in a thick, glossy glaze.
Plate and serve hot
Pile the hot glazed beef directly onto the prepared fresh vegetable platter, drizzling any remaining pan glaze over the top. Serve immediately alongside 600g warm cooked jasmine rice, with small dipping dishes of 5g table salt mixed with the remaining 0.5g black pepper, and 60g lime wedges to squeeze into the salt for a bright, zesty dip.
Tips
2.Cut beef into uniform 2.5cm cubes to ensure even cooking; unevenly sized pieces will result in a mix of overcooked tough bits and undercooked raw centers.
3.Stick to the short searing and tossing times: total cook time for the beef is less than 4 minutes per batch, which yields juicy, medium-rare centers, the traditional doneness for this dish.
OMG this Bo Luc Lac is a total game changer for our weeknight family dinners! I was a little nervous about the medium difficulty rating, but the marinating step was so hands off I could help my kid with homework while the beef soaked up all that yummy garlic and soy flavor. Served it over watercress with lime wedges like the recipe said, even my picky 7 year old asked for seconds. 10/10 will be making this for our next potluck!
SO good. I prepped the marinade and cut the beef up on Sunday, threw this together in 20 minutes on Tuesday night after my gym session and it tasted exactly like the version I get at my favorite spot in Little Saigon. Only tweak I made was adding a little extra cracked black pepper and a tiny pinch of five spice. The cook time was totally accurate too — don’t skip that full 30 minute marinate time y’all, it makes all the difference in how deep the flavor gets.
Tried this last night for date night with my partner and we were both blown away. I’ve messed up stir-fry style beef so many times before by overcrowding the pan, but the tip to cook it in small batches so it gets that nice crispy, caramelized sear? Total game changer. Only thing I forgot to pick up was pickled daikon and carrot to serve on the side, will definitely grab that next time I make this.
Wait, has anyone tried making this with a plant-based beef substitute? My roommate is vegan and I’ve been dying to make Bo Luc Lac for our weekly roommate dinner but don’t want to leave her out. The flavor profile sounds insane, I’m already obsessed with that tangy lime fish sauce dipping sauce the recipe mentions.
My granddaughter introduced me to Bo Luc Lac when we went out for her birthday in Orlando, and this recipe is even better than the restaurant version! I don’t love super spicy food so I left out the optional sliced jalapeños on the side, and it was still perfectly flavorful. My whole family raved about it at our Sunday dinner last weekend.
Made this in my tiny dorm kitchen with just a beat up cast iron skillet and it slapped so hard. My roommates all thought I ordered takeout from the Vietnamese place downtown lmao. Worth every minute of prep, even if I had to sprint to the Asian market 10 minutes from campus to grab the right fish sauce. 10/10 would make again, probably this weekend when my friends come over to watch the football game.
Cute recipe but I wish the cook time breakdown was a little clearer upfront! I saw 50 minutes total and assumed that was all active time, so I almost started making it way too late for my dinner party. The end result was really tasty once I got it on the table, everyone loved it — just a heads up to other folks to block off time for that 30 minute inactive marinating step if you’re making this for a group!