Shaking beef steak salad recipe
A delicious combo of warm seared steak atop a cool salad, this classic is traditionally considered a special-occasion dish in Vietnam. Given that, cooks cleverly cut the meat into smaller pieces to imbue it with flavour, cook it quickly and serve it to a crowd. The name in Vietnamese, thịt bò lúc lắc, refers to the back-and-forth shaking (lúc lắc) of the skillet as the beef (thịt bò) cooks. Shaking beef is a Viet restaurant favourite and a cinch to make at home.
Tip: For the steak, choose well-marbled pieces. When the beef hits the greens, they wilt slightly and the beef juices and dressing blend together into a tangy sauce, which is great spooned over rice or other grains.
Ingredients
For the marinated beef- 1.5 tsp sugar
- 1.5 tsp cornstarch
- 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1.5 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 680 g beef steaks, such as bottom sirloin, cut into 2.5cm/1in cubes
- 1.5 tbsp vegetable oil
- 0.2 cups thinly sliced red onion or shallot
- 1.5 tsp sugar or honey
- 2 pinches fine sea salt
- 4 grinds of black pepper
- 1.5 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp water
- 4 cups lightly packed watercress, rocket or other salad greens
- 0.2 cups fresh mint, basil or other herb leaves, torn (optional)
- 8 tomatoes, halved (optional)
Details
- Cuisine: Vietnamese
- Recipe Type: Salad
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 20 mins
- Cooking Time: 5 mins
- Serves: 4
Step-by-step
- First prepare the beef. In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch, pepper, garlic, oyster sauce, the soy sauce and fish sauce. Taste and, if a saltier finish is needed, add up to 1.5 teaspoons of oyster sauce.
- Add the beef, toss to coat well, and let marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature. Keep the vegetable oil nearby.
- Next make the salad. Rinse the onion in a strainer under cold running water for about 10 seconds, then set aside. In a large bowl (suitable for tossing the salad), whisk together the sugar, salt, pepper, vinegar and water. Add the onion, top with the watercress, and, if you wish, add the mint and tomatoes, but don’t toss.
- Set a large skillet that can get very hot (such as carbon steel or cast iron) over high heat and add enough of the vegetable oil to film the bottom.
- When the oil is shimmering, carefully add the beef, spreading it out in one layer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, shaking the pan every 30 to 60 seconds to sear the beef on all sides. It should be medium-rare. If you want to minimise mess, cover the pan with a splatter guard and flip the meat with a spatula. Remove from the heat.
- Quickly toss the salad and transfer everything, including the dressing, to a platter or serving dish. Pile the cooked beef and its juices on top, and serve immediately. At the table, ceremoniously combine all the ingredients and dive in.
Reprinted with permission from Vietnamese Food Any Day: Simple Recipes for True, Fresh Flavors by Andrea Nguyen, copyright © 2019. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Photography credit: Aubrie Pick © 2019.
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