Vietnamese. Starter. Served at The Inauguration (#1).

Bò lúc lắc

Shaking beef

Shaking beef is mostly about buying a good ribeye, marinating it overnight, and then searing it hard in batches so every cube browns instead of steaming.

You can plate it over lettuce with cucumbers, tomatoes and lime wedges, or over watercress with lime and Kampot salt.

Serve immediately with tomato rice.

Makes
Serves 10 as a starter
Time
Overnight marinade, then about 20 minutes at the wok
Do ahead
Marinate overnight.

Ingredients

Scale

Beef and marinade

  • 2.5–3 lbboneless ribeye, 1.5" cubes
  • 7–8garlic cloves, minced
  • 2.5 tbsppalm sugar or brown sugar
  • 2.5 tspcornstarch
  • 1.25 tspblack pepper
  • 2.5 tbspoyster sauce
  • 2.5 tbspfish sauce
  • 5 tsplight soy sauce
  • 2.5 tspneutral oil

For the wok

  • 4 tbspneutral oil, divided
  • 2–3medium onions, thin wedges
  • 1.25 tspdark soy sauce
  • 2.5 tbspoyster sauce
  • 2.5 tbspunsalted butter

For the platter

  • crunchy lettuce (or watercress)
  • 2–3seedless cucumbers, sliced
  • 2–3large tomatoes, half-moons
  • 2–3limes, wedges
  • Kampot salt, if you use watercress

Method

  1. Combine the beef with the marinade ingredients. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or at least 8 hours.
  2. Build the platter: greens in the middle, tomatoes and cucumbers on the sides, lime wedges around the edge.
  3. Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high until just smoking. Add 2.5 tbsp of the oil.
  4. Sear the beef in 3 to 4 batches, about 5 minutes each, tossing to brown all sides. Hold the seared beef in a bowl.
  5. Add the remaining oil and the onions. Cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add a splash of water if the pan is dry.
  6. Return the beef to the wok. Add the dark soy, oyster sauce and butter. Toss until everything is coated.
  7. Tip it onto the platter and serve right away, with tomato rice.