Shaking Beef
Andrea Potischman
Sep 7, 2018
Shaking beef, also known as “Bò lúc lắc”–meaning sautéed dried beef–is a French-inspired Vietnamese dish that my entire family loves. The Vietnamese name translates to “shaking beef,” which is the main cooking method for this incredibly easy and tasty dish.
Historically, beef was once considered a luxurious delicacy in Vietnamese cuisine. Beef was often reserved for making celebratory dishes, for special occasions, such as weddings. My family’s love of this dish will forever be connected to a favorite restaurant of ours in Northern California called Tamarine.
This dish could not be easier to make but requires two important steps: (1) a long marinade time and (2) high-heat cooking. These two simple things will make or break the dish. This is not my recipe, it is Marcia Kissel’s. I first discovered it in Food & Wine Magazine.
To me and my family, this recipe is perfect and the closest to our local favorite. Although I’ve not yet traveled to Vietnam, I’m told that traditionally this dish is made with a tougher cut. In North America, a tender cut, such as filet is typically used, as is the case in this recipe. In all honesty, many cuts of meat would work well here depending on your preference. Tri-tip bottom and sirloin are easy go-tos. I make this dish often and love to serve it with my family’s favorite Din Tai Fung-style chilled cucumber salad.
Shaking Beef
Ingredients:
For the Beef:
- 2 pounds beef tenderloin, cut into 1–inch cubes
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons medium-dry sherry
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for cooking
For the Vinaigrette:
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 lemongrass stalk, lower third of the bulb only, minced
For the Salad:
- 6 ounces watercress (10 packed cups)
- 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
Directions:
- For the Meat: In a large bowl, combine the garlic, sherry, soy sauce, sugar, pepper, and five-spice powder with 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the beef and turn to coat thoroughly with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight.
- For the Vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce with the vegetable oil, sherry, red wine vinegar, minced ginger, sugar, garlic, and lemongrass. Let stand for 30 minutes, stirring a few times.
- For the Salad: Place the watercress and red onion on a platter and toss with half the vinaigrette.
- Set two large skillets over high heat until very hot, about 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to each skillet, when shimmering, add the meat to both skillets in an even layer. Let cook undisturbed until richly browned on the bottom, about 1 1/2 minutes. Shake the skillet to release the meat and cook for about 30 seconds longer, until medium-rare. Scrape the beef onto the watercress. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette, toss lightly, and serve right away.
I was missing a couple of the ingredients and it still turned out delicious. My son wants to know when I’m making it again.
Nice Tracy, this makes me so happy!