A Taste At A Time: Chào đón! Rất ngon Thit Bo Luc Lac ! VietNamese "Shaking" Beef

Chào đón! Rất ngon Thit Bo Luc Lac !

Welcome! Have some delicious Vietnamese"Shaking" Beef!

Chào đón to VietNam! In my attempt to keep things fresh I thought we would go halfway around the world to VietNam and try a quick and flavorful dish called thit bo luc lac or VietNamese Shaking Beef. The shaking beef part comes from the motion you make when you cook the beef in the wok. You make a shaking motion to keep flipping the beef so it doesn't burn on the high heats used for woks. I was intrigued by its simplicity and yet the flavors will blow you away. Serve with rice or on a bed of watercress which is traditional for meals or you can even serve as an appetizer with the traditional dipping sauce, muoi tieu chanh or salt, lime and pepper sauce. The flavor of the dish comes from all the ingredients you use for the marinade. It is definitely a fun dish to make and I think quite versatile. You can stick with the original more traditional recipe or you can always experiment with more heat or sweet as you choose. Remember to just keep tasting and do everything A TASTE AT A TIME!

Thưởng thức! Enjoy!

Serves 4 with 2 or 3 other dishes

1 1/4 pound tri-tip (bottom sirloin/culotte) steaks (any good beef will work here; if you marinade the beef overnight it will help tenderize the tougher cuts)

Marinade:
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced (you can never use enough garlic in my opinion! I would opt for more than 2 cloves here)
2 Tblsp Oyster Sauce
1 tsp Vietnamese-Style Fish Sauce (the best kind to use is phu quoc type made with all anchovies; this can be pungent so taste, taste, taste! )
1 Tblsp light Pearl River Bridge Superior Light Soy Sauce (I use both light and dark soy sauces for extra deep color and a richer flavor.)

(for a bit of heat and a more northern VietNamese flair add some dried hot chili peppers)

Garnish:
1 shallot, thinly sliced (1/4 cup total) (I prefer red onions though shallots have a more refined flavor. Experiment with both and see which you prefer)
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 or 2 pinches salt
3 to 5 cracks black pepper
1 1/2 Tblsp Unseasoned Rice Vinegar
2 Tblsp water

watercress, use only the tender leafy parts (get rid of the hard stems and arrange in a nice bed on which to place the finished beef cubes. This is both for color and the eye as well as the freshness and coolness of the watercress flavor)
2 Tblsp canola or peanut oil

1. Trim excess fat from the beef and cut into small, relatively uniform cubes. In a bowl, (I like to use a Ziploc Quart Freezer Bags here; it is easier to store and toss) combine the pepper, sugar, garlic, oyster sauce, fish sauce and soy sauce. Add the beef and toss well to coat. Set aside to marinate for 20 minutes (minimum) or up to 2 hours (you can even go overnight for tougher meat).

2. Put the onion in a strainer and rinse under water for about 10 seconds to reduce some of the harshness. In large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, salt, pepper, vinegar and water. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the onion (and set aside to pickle)

3. Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add the beef and spread it out in one layer. Cook in batches, if necessary. Let the beef sear for about 1 minute, before shaking the wok or skillet to sear the other side. Cook for another 30 seconds or so and shake. Cook the beef this way for about 4 minutes total, until nicely browned and medium rare.

In between shakes, toss the onion and transfer watercress onto a platter or serving dish. When the beef is done, pile the beef on top of the watercress, (garnish with your pickles onions) and serve immediately with lots of rice.