Bò Lúc Lắc (Shaking Beef)
Updated Feb. 16, 2026
- Total Time
- 20 minutes, plus 2 hours' marinating
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1½ to 2pounds beef tenderloin (filet mignon), trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2tablespoons chopped garlic
- 2tablespoons sugar
- Salt and pepper
- 5tablespoons neutral oil, like corn or canola
- ¼cup rice-wine vinegar
- ¼cup rice or white wine
- 3tablespoons soy sauce
- 1tablespoon fish sauce
- 1red onion, peeled and sliced thin
- 3scallions, trimmed and cut in 1-inch lengths
- 2tablespoons butter
- 2bunches watercress, washed and dried, or 1 head red leaf lettuce, washed, dried and separated into leaves
- 2limes, cut into wedges
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
626 calories; 42 grams fat; 18 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 17 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 42 grams protein; 1122 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Marinate meat with garlic, half the sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper and 1 tablespoon oil for about 2 hours. (Refrigerate if your kitchen is very warm.) Meanwhile, combine vinegar, remaining sugar, wine, soy sauce and fish sauce. Taste, and add salt and pepper if necessary. Mix about 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl.
- Step 2
Divide the meat into 2 portions, and do the same with the onion and scallions. Put a wok or a large skillet over maximum heat, and add about 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil smokes, add the meat in one layer. Let it sit until a brown crust forms, and turn to brown the other side. Browning should take less than 5 minutes. Add half the onion and half the scallions, and cook, stirring, about 30 seconds. Add about half the vinegar mixture, and shake pan to release the beef, stirring if necessary. Add half the butter, and shake pan until butter melts. Remove meat, and repeat.
- Step 3
Serve beef over watercress or lettuce leaves, passing salt and pepper mixture and lime wedges at the table.
Private Notes
Comments
I worked at the Slanted Door, and this is one of their most popular dishes. However, the insider nickname is "Choking Beef". It's because the size of the cube - people are like "Do I cut this? Do I not cut this?" And then when they don't cut it and decide to jam it all in at once... Let me just say that we had more than one choking emergency during the time of my employment. Cook the cubes in the recommended size, but for god's sake, cut it when its in front of you on the table.
Having loved this dish at Slanted Door a million times, you CANNOT just squeeze the lime over the dish. Instead create a dipping sauce of lime and salt and pepper. Superb. Thanks for this easier recipe!
Instead of filet mignon, use Flat Iron steak. It’s effectively the same type of meat as it’s adjacent to the filet, but has a tough piece of tendon in it. Since you’re cubing it anyways, it’s easy enough to remove the tendon. Same tenderness for less than half the cost.
I was excited to try this based on the reviews and the fact that I enjoy Vietnamese food. I made it mostly as directed with red lettuce and Thousand Acres filet mignons and I thought it was disappointing. Experience told me that I shouldn't cook the beef for five minutes because it would be way overcooked. I also added a tiny amount of minced dry Thai chili pepper to the sauce. For all of the wonderful ingredients that it went into it, the result was bland. The flavor was all in the watery sauce that wound up on the bottom of my plate, making my lettuce mushy. One reviewer suggested adding chopped mint leaves. I happened to have fresh mint on hand so I tried it and I didn't like that either. Other reviewers have suggested that the lime juice should be mixed with salt and pepper and use as a dipping sauce. I don't know, I'm not gonna try that because I thought all in all the recipe was kind of a dud as written and I'm not interested in making it again.
Glad to have this recipe! I loved the Slanted Door and we ate there frequently when we lived in SF and often ordered this scrumptious dish.
Great recipe! The prep instructions are difficult to follow and should be re-worked/simplified. I recommend writing the instructions for two or servings and let cooks scale it appropriately. The lime and the pepper are key ingredients for serving. The recipe is heavy on salt.