If you love beef, you'll looove this Bo Luc Lac (Vietnamese Shaking Beef) recipe. Chunks of beef tenderloin, browned and coated with a sweet, salty, tangy and buttery glaze, complemented with a lime and pepper dipping sauce.
Vietnamese Shaking Beef (Bò Lúc Lắc) is my favorite Asian beef dish. I was digging into my mind, trying to think of a dish that would dethrone Bo Luc Lac for the top spot and I honestly couldn’t come up with one.
Possibly Beef Pho, but that's more of a noodle dish as opposed to a beef dish. The problem is that there aren't many restaurants that make Bo Luc Lac well.
Most don't do this beef dish justice. Fortunately, it's easy to make Vietnamese Shaking Beef at home and it turns out great every time.
Which Cut of Beef Works Best for Bo Luc Lac?
Beef tenderloin is the ideal cut for this Shaking Beef recipe. Using tenderloin makes it nearly foolproof since overcooking it means you'll still end up with relatively tender pieces of beef.
You want to strive for medium rare to medium but don't stress about getting the temperature perfect. Either way, it'll be tender, and most importantly, delicious!
Tenderloin can be very pricey but another good cut for Bo Luc Lac is sirloin or ribeye. I prefer ribeye over sirloin for its tenderness. If you do go with ribeye, since it's more fatty, use paper towels to soak up most of the fat in the wok after browning.
Tips for Making the Best Vietnamese Shaking Beef
The key to this Bo Luc Lac recipe is the quick sear on high heat. Browning meat builds flavors that you cannot create any other way. A super hot wok and a bit of oil does wonders to beef.
If you don't have a wok, a cast iron skillet works very well for this Bo Luc Lac recipe. Be sure you place the cubed beef in a single layer in the wok or skillet. Then leave it alone until it develops a crust. Don't flip it until it has a nicely browned surface.
You'll know the beef is ready when it releases from the pan easily. You can (or should) shake the wok at this point. Hey, after all, we're making Vietnamese Shaking Beef, right? Flip each piece over and brown the other side.
While you're browning the beef, be careful not to overcrowd the skillet. Work in batches if necessary. It's crucial to obtaining the sear we're looking for.
Another important step is coating the meat in sauce and allowing the sauce to cook and glaze each piece. The sauce will thicken as it caramelizes, and in a hot wok, it happens fast! Once it gets there, your nose will tell you Bo Luc Lac is ready!
How to Make Bo Luc Lac
Cut the beef tenderloin into pieces, about 1-1.5 inches wide. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and let it rest while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Combine all the SAUCE ingredients in a small bowl and mix until the sugar dissolves. Set it aside for later.
To make the lime dipping sauce, combine the DIPPING SAUCE ingredients together in a condiment dish and set aside.
Heat a wok or cast iron skillet on medium-high heat until it starts to get smoky. Add a tablespoon of oil and swirl it around to coat.
Sauté the sliced onion until it's caramelized then transfer to a plate for later.
Add another tablespoon of oil and turn the heat to high. Add half of the beef tenderloin cubes and allow it to sear untouched until it releases easily from the wok. Shake or flip the beef over and sear the other side.
There's no need to cook the beef to temperature at this point. Remove the first batch and repeat with the rest of the beef.
Lower the heat to medium then add minced garlic, caramelized onions and the seared beef. Give it a good toss.
Turn the heat back to high then pour in the sauce. Sauté to coat the beef and allow the sauce to reduce and thicken to a glaze. Periodically, toss the beef so it cooks evenly.
Turn off the heat then add butter. Give the wok another shake to release the Bo Luc Lac and give it a final toss to coat the beef in butter.
Serve Bo Luc Lac with rice and lime dipping sauce and enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 lb beef tenderloin, cut into 1-1.5 inch cubes
- 1 medium onion, sliced (optional)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon butter
SAUCE
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine
- 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
DIPPING SAUCE (optional)
- 1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
Instructions
- Cut the tenderloin into 1-1.5 inch cubes. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Allow it to rest while you prepare the sauce.
- In a small bowl, mix all the SAUCE ingredients together until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
- In a condiment dish, combine the DIPPING SAUCE ingredients and set aside.
- Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. When the wok gets smoky, coat the wok in oil.
- Add sliced onion and stir fry until it's caramelized. Remove from the wok and set aside.
- Turn the heat to high and add a bit more oil. Add half of the beef and cook untouched until the meat is nicely browned and releases from the pan easily. Shake or flip each piece over and brown the other side.
- Remove the beef and set aside. Repeat with the other half of the batch.
- Turn the heat down to medium and add garlic, caramelized onions and the browned beef and toss together.
- Add the sauce and turn the heat back to high. Give it a good toss to coat the meat, then leave it alone. Allow it to cook until the sauce begins to reduce and thicken.
- Shake the wok to release the tenderloin, give it another toss and allow the sauce to reduce into a glaze.
- Turn off the heat and add butter. Shake the wok again to release the beef and give it another toss to coat the meat in butter. Serve Bo Luc Lac with dipping sauce.
David says
Is the rice wine the same a mirin wine?
tsw says
That's a good question! Rice wine is not the same as mirin. Although mirin is a type of rice wine, it's sweet and has a syrupy consistency.
The type of rice wine we use in this recipe is called mijiu. Sake is a very good substitute!