This Shaking Beef Salad is inspired by a popular Vietnamese dish called Shaking Beef. Shaking Beef, also known as “Bo Luc Lac,” is typically consists of beef cubes stir-fried and is served with rice and a side of fresh lettuce, sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, and herbs such as or mint, holy basil, or coriander (cilantro). The name “Shaking Beef” comes from how it’s cooked, where the beef cooks in a hot wok and is constantly shaken or tossed until the meat has browned evenly.
In this recipe, instead of serving it with rice, I’m making it into a salad with leafy greens. The salad dressing serves dual purposes here, a quick pickled radish and a vinaigrette for the salad.
Shaking Beef “Bo Luc Lac” Salad
With a subtle balance of saltiness and sweetness, this Vietnamese-inspired Shaking Beef is your perfect salad.
Servings: 2 people
Ingredients
- 2 tsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp regular soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 ½ tsp fish sauce
- ¼ tsp sugar
- Black pepper
- 2 strip steaks about 1 ¼ to 1 ½ lb in total, cut into cubes
- 2 to 3 radishes thinly sliced
- A few crosscuts of shallot minced
- Juice of half a lime
- Honey or agave nectar a drizzle, or to taste
- 1 tbsp oil
- 8 to 10 cherry tomatoes sliced in halves
- 6 oz. arugula or spring mix salad
- Sea salt
Instructions
- Combine the oyster sauce, regular soy sauce, dark sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and a good amount of black pepper, about ½ teaspoon, in a bowl. Mix well. Add the beef cubes, and toss the beef around until the beef is coated with the marinade. Set aside.
- To make the salad dressing, combine the sliced radishes, shallot, lime juice, and honey, seasoning with sea salt and black pepper. Mixed well and set aside.
- In a large pan or wok, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over moderately high heat. Sear the beef, in batches if needed, for 2 to 3 minutes. It is important not to crowd the pan, allowing enough space for the water content from the beef to evaporate. Do not move the beef cubes until one side has browned.
- After one side of the beef has browned, stir-fry for 2 minutes until all sides have browned.
- Transfer the beef from the pan to a bowl and let the meat rest.
- Meanwhile, combine the salad dressing, cherry tomatoes, and the spring mix salad in a large bowl, tossing the salad until everything is well mixed.
- To assemble the dish, place the beef cubes over the salad. Serve immediately.