Vietnamese Shaking Beef Recipe - Steak Salad- “Thit Bo Luc Lac” Recipe

Vietnamese shaking beef, steak tips, steak salad aka Thit Bo Luc Lac!

Found on many Vietnamese menus, it’s one of the most popular menu items and has always been one of my favorite dishes. Perfectly cooked beef is marinated in a delicious umami marinade made of soy sauce, fish sauce, and oyster sauce.

Traditionally this dish is served with tomato rice and some fresh vegetables like tomato and cucumbers. I made my tomato rice in my rice cooker with jasmine rice, and a little: tomato paste, garlic, and Maggi! mmm

PS- It’s called shaking beef because you shake & sizzle steak cubes in a hot pan. I like it medium rare so I turn up the heat and let it fry for a minute or so on a side, flip then I give it a few quick shakes in my cast iron pan.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb of Top Sirloin steak (top sirloin, regular sirloin, tenderloin, or ribeye steak)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 tsp onion powder

• 1/4 tsp garlic powder or 2 minced garlic cloves

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/2 to 1 tbs cooking oil (vegetable, light EVOO or Tea seed oil)

• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

MARINADE

• 1.5 tablespoon Maggi

• 1 tbs light soy sauce

• 1/2 tbs oyster sauce

• 1/4 tsp fish sauce

• 1/2 tablespoon honey

• 1 red onion (medium cut in 1/2" wedges/slices)

OPTIONAL GARNISHES/SIDES

• 1 butter lettuce (optional) or 1 bundle of watercress salad greens (optional)

• Cucumber slices (optional)

• Tomato slices (optional)

DIPPING SAUCE (optional)

Nuoc Mam Gung -recipe here-

OR

Nuoc Mam Cham -recipe here-

PREPARATION
1. Cut beef into about 1x1" cubes.

2. Wash lettuce and spin dry, and cut tomatoes thinly or dice in chunks and arrange on a plate and set aside.

3. In large bowl, mix honey, salt, onion powder, black pepper and garlic and mix evenly, then add in beef and mix and let marinade for 15-30 min til room temperature.x

4. In small separate bowl mix wet marinade together: fish sauce, soy sauce, Maggi, oyster sauce, honey.

5. In a large skillet, heat up about 2 tsp of olive oil (use more olive oil if needed to coat bottom of pan) on medium high until oil is hot, thin and glossy and slightly smokey. Move the oil around the pan to fully cover bottom of skillet

6. Transfer marinated beef into skillet and sear one side of beef. Wait about a minute and half before shaking pan to mix and sear beef on all sides. Don't stir beef too much and instead let it sear and brown before tossing and shaking it in the pan.

7. When the meat is all evenly seared about 4 min total- transfer meat to a clean bowl to prevent from further cooking.

8. Clean pan or use separate large pan and on med high heat, add butter. Wait until butter melts then add onions and and sauté until fragrant (about a minute).

9. Then add wet marinade to onions and cook down marinade until onions are slightly cooked (about a minute), then then lower heat and transfer beef into pan and toss/shake everything until everything is evenly sauced and coated. Turn off oven and remove from heat. Taste- add salt, black pepper or Maggi to taste.

10. Transfer beef and sauce onto prepared lettuce plate. Serve wish side dipping sauce (Nuoc Mam Gung or Nuoc Mam Cham).