Vietnamese "Shaking" Beef ... Bo Luc Lac

Vietnamese "Shaking" Beef... Bo Luc Lac. I've always been fascinated with different sort of recipes, and I especially like recipes that use ingredients familiar to me. Yet when those familiar ingredients are put together in a way that is different... well, it makes me, out of curiosity, want to try the recipe. So when this Vietnamese dish jumped out at me because of its uniqueness, I mentally made a note to try it... asap! 

I loved the idea of a main salad dish. A salad that would be filling and yet refreshing at the same time. What I loved most, was the flexibility to make the dish your own... to some extent. I chose to marinate the meat with coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, and cut down the garlic, because I don't do well with too much.  And while I used butter lettuce, you can easily use whatever greens you like. Since my husband and I like spicy, I chose to add a bit of sliced jalapeno, though it's truly not necessary. I also had some fresh cilantro in the fridge, and I knew a bit would enhance the dish. But again this is optional as well. The pickled onion is sufficient along with the flavorful beef and the vinaigrette. And in reality the meat and pickled onion could easily be served over rice...   

I loved, loved the vinaigrette. I'm thinking to make it again and use it to make a different sort of dish. A rice noodle salad with fresh veggies would go really well with the vinaigrette. So even if you don't make the dish as is... the vinaigrette is worth making. I know, it doesn't sound like much... just vinegar, sugar and salt. But the flavor is delicious!  

I'm also toying with the idea of substituting the beef with chicken and maybe even grilling it.  It's a great recipe that I'm thrilled to have come across. So I'm sharing it in the hopes that some of you would like it as well... enough to try it, even if you put your own spin on it:). Hope you enjoy...

You will need: inspired by Rasa Malaysia

Meat:

1 lb beef steak, cut in small cubes

Meat Marinade:

2 tsps grated garlic, or 1.5 TBS, if you like 

2 tsps sugar

2 tsps fish sauce

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 TBS coconut aminos (can use 1 tsp soy sauce+ 1TBS oyster sauce and decrease salt)

1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste

Vinaigrette:  use 1/2 of sauce for salad and 1/2 to pickle onion

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1 TBS sugar

1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste

Veggies:

1/2 of red onion, sliced thinly

1 butter lettuce, torn~ can use watercress, or other type of lettuce 

2 tomatoes, sliced thinly, can be optional

chopped cilantro, optional

1/2 jalapeno, sliced, optional

Lime Dipping Sauce: optional, for dipping meat cubes

2 TBS lime juice

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

Extra: 

oil for stir fry

Directions: 

1. Cut beef in cubes. Mix meat marinade and combine with beef to coat thoroughly. 

2. Marinate steak at least 1 hour before cooking, or overnight for best results. 

3. Make vinaigrette  by combine rice vinegar with the sugar and salt. Taste and adjust, if needed... to get a good balance of sour, sweet and salty.

4. Slice the red onion thinly and combine with 3 TBS of vinaigrette. Mic to combine and allow to pickle covered in fridge while you prepare the greens and meat.

5. Prepare bed of greens and tomatoes on a serving platter. Sprinkle with a bit of cilantro and sliced jalapeno, if using. Set aside.

6. Make dipping sauce by combining lime juice, salt and pepper in a small ramekin. Set aside.

7. Heat a large skillet... or wok over med-high heat. Add about l TBS oil and when it is hot, add 1/2 of the marinated beef cubes in a single layer. Allow to sear for about 2 minutes, before “shaking”the pan and sear the opposite sides of the beef... for another couple of minute more... or until brown all over and cooked to your liking.  

8. Repeat this with the second batch of meat.

9. Transfer beef to bed of greens and tomatoes. I like to place it in the middle.

10. Drizzle the remainder of the vinaigrette over the greens and over the beef if you like. You can use all of the vinaigrette... or just some of it. 

11. Top with pickled red onions. Serve with lime dipping sauce.... if you like.