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I am 100% devoted to salads, that is no news, but my current fave is Shaking Beef; a spectacularly fresh and flavourful Việtnamese salad of mixed greens, cucumbers, pickled red onions, juicy mango, tender rice vermicelli noodles, bright herbs, and an irresistible black pepper lime vinaigrette. This salad is a seriously satisfying main dish that is tossed together in no time at all.
I should say it shakes together in no time at all. The “shaking” part of the name Shaking Beef refers to how the beef is cooked in the pan. Your seasoned beef goes into a screaming hot pan and is shaken until browned on all sides.
I cannot even tell you how craveable this salad is. You’re just going to have to taste it for yourself. Luckily, it’s easy enough to make on weeknights!
Bo Luc Lac
Bo Luc Lac -a.k.a. Shaking Beef- is a standard item on Việtnamese restaurant menus but can appear in several different forms. Sometimes it’s beef cubes accompanied by rice or noodles and a side salad, with a black pepper and lime dipping sauce.
The version I love best, though, is similar to the salad form I’m sharing today. For this Bo Luc Lac recipe, I’ve replaced the usual dipping sauce with a black pepper lime vinaigrette for the whole salad and added some luscious, juicy mango to the party for a little burst of tropical sweetness.
Shaking Beef Recipe
It’s true that this Shaking Beef recipe is a little different than the average one, adding fresh mangoes, using pickled red onions in place of fresh, and a black pepper lime vinaigrette instead of a dipping sauce, but all of these changes work. While mangoes don’t usually appear on Shaking Beef, I think they should because a) mangoes are fabulous, and b) they pair beautifully with the beef. Oh, and c) because I just plain love them.
You can prepare many of the individual components for Shaking Beef ahead of time. Make a jar of quick pickled red onions and stash them in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks. Slice the cucumbers, make your black pepper lime vinaigrette, marinate your beef, then boil, drain, and rinse your rice noodles earlier in the day. When it comes time to eat, all you need to do is slice your mango, assemble your salad, and throw that marinated beef in your super hot skillet. It’s so easy and delivers such explosive flavour.
What kind of pan should I use for my shaking beef?
Choose a stainless steel or cast iron skillet or wok with a sturdy handle. Most non-stick pans are not meant to be used over high heat. High heat degrades non-stick surfaces and can cause them to release some chemicals into the food being cooked on them. Since they are not meant to go over very high heat, non-stick pans (with very few exceptions) cannot sear meat the way high-heat friendly pans can.
What’s the big deal? When you sear meat, you aren’t just developing colour, you’re also adding a divine layer of flavour that you simply cannot get any other way. It’s the deeply caramelized surface (courtesy of the Maillard reaction) that does it, and the only way to get it is to plonk meat into a wickedly hot pan.
The cooking method is easy peasy. Ideally, you’ll pop those beef cubes in the hot pan and shake the pan back and forth vigorously. If you have a glass top stove, this just isn’t going to work for you, though. In that case, use a wooden or bamboo spoon or flexible turner to keep the beef moving constantly.
Shaking Beef
- Arrange your greens, herbs, cucumbers, pickled onions, and mango over a serving platter and set aside.
- Cook rice vermicelli noodles according to package instructions, drain, and rinse them. Arrange this in the center of your salad greens to make a bed for the hot beef.
- Add all of the vinaigrette ingredients to a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake to combine.
- Add the beef cubes with the marinade ingredients to a zipper top bag and squish to really work those into the beef cubes. Pop the bag into the refrigerator and let it marinate for at least an hour, but preferably overnight.
- Drizzle half of the vegetable oil into a stainless steel or cast-iron skillet set over high heat. Add half of the beef cubes to the pan, shaking just to distribute the beef in an even layer, then leaving it to sear for 2 minutes.
- Shake the pan or use a turner to stir the beef vigorously for 1-2 more minutes, or until the beef cubes are medium rare.
- Drizzle a little of your black pepper lime vinaigrette over the greens and rice noodles.
- Transfer the beef cubes directly from the pan to the bed of rice noodles. Drizzle with a little more of the black pepper lime vinaigrette. Serve immediately.
Shaking Beef {Bo Luc Lac}
Bo Luc Lac -Shaking Beef- is a spectacularly fresh and flavourful Viêtnamese salad of mixed greens, cucumbers, pickled red onions, juicy mango, tender rice vermicelli noodles, bright herbs, and an irresistible black pepper lime dressing.
For the Bo Luc Lac {Shaking Beef}
- 2 pounds beef sirloin (trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch cubes)
- 6 cloves garlic (peeled and minced (or 2 tablespoons minced garlic))
- 1 tablespoon raw sugar (or coconut sugar or brown sugar)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
For the Salad
- 8 cups mixed spring greens
- 12 mint leaves
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
- 7 ounces rice vermicelli noodles (prepared according to package instructions)
- 1 seedless cucumber (thinly sliced)
- 1 mango (peeled and sliced thinly or chopped into bite sized pieces)
- 1/4 cup quick pickled red onions (or thinly sliced fresh red onion)
- 1 lime (cut into wedges)
For the Black Pepper Lime Vinaigrette
- 1/4 fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons raw sugar or coconut sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (can increase to 1 teaspoon black pepper if you love pepper)
To Make the Shaking Beef
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Add the beef, garlic, sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, and sesame oil to a zipper top bag. Squish together thoroughly and refrigerate for at least one hour but up to overnight.
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Drizzle half of the vegetable oil into a stainless steel or cast-iron skillet set over high heat. Add half of the beef cubes to the pan, shaking just to distribute the beef in an even layer, then leaving it to sear for 2 minutes.
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Shake the pan or use a turner to stir the beef vigorously for 1-2 more minutes, or until the beef cubes are medium rare.
To Make the Black Pepper Lime Vinaigrette
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Combine the lime juice, olive oil, sugar, kosher salt, and black pepper in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake well to combine. You can store this in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
To Make the Salad
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Toss together the mixed spring greens, mint leaves, and cilantro leaves and arrange over a large serving platter.
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Pile the drained, rinsed noodles in the center of the greens.
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Arrange the cucumber slices, mango pieces, and pickled red onions over the greens, and arrange the lime wedges around the outside of the greens. Be sure to leave a space over the noodles as this is where you’ll put the hot beef.
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Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of the Black Pepper Lime Vinaigrette over everything.
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As soon as the Shaking Beef is medium rare, transfer it directly from the pan to the bed of rice noodles and drizzle with about another tablespoon of the Black Pepper Lime Vinaigrette.
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Divide the salad at the table, including a lime wedge with each serving. Squeeze the lime wedge over the Bo Luc Lac before eating. Serve any extra Black Pepper Lime Vinaigrette at the table to use to taste.
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