Vietnam | Bò Lúc Lắc (Shaking Beef)

CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE I USED

I knew it would not be difficult to find a recipe from Vietnam that I’d want to try; it is usually pretty easy for me when it comes to that region of the world. The challenging part is narrowing it down to one thing and finding all the ingredients.

There are a lot of variations in the Shaking Beef recipes online but I went with The Woks of Life recipe because I have never disliked a meal I’ve made from that site.

Many other recipes for this call for watercress, which I can’t get here, so I used green leaf lettuce. Or they call for more fish sauce than this recipe calls for. Fish sauce is delicious but, to me, it has a VERY strong flavor (and aroma) that can easily overpower a dish so I tend to avoid recipes that call for several tablespoons of it. I do wonder if my palate, which was raised on bland* food, just hasn’t adapted to it yet.

Shaking Beef isn’t difficult to cook or prep for but it does require a bit of time for the beef to marinate. I let mine marinate, in the fridge, overnight. Some veggies need to be chopped and the beef and onions need to be stir-fried but that’s about it. The beef and onion mix is served on a bed of greens with tomatoes and cucumber. Lime slices are served on the side; the lime juice is squeezed over the finished dish.

How was it?

Absolutely delicious. It knocked my socks off. I loved it. It was packed with intense flavor and the cool crispness of the veggies along with the hint of lime added freshness and brightness. It was so so good!

Would I make it again?

YES!!!!! (depending on beef prices because it was nearly $30 for just the beef for this recipe) Maybe there’s a Shaking Chicken recipe out there. Or pork.

*My mother decreed thyme as “too spicy” and asked me to not use it when cooking meals for the family. Thyme!?!