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A plate with marinated pieces of beef lok lak, a small bowl of lime pepper sauce, pieces of leafy green lettuce, sliced tomatoes and onion, and a lightly fried egg sitting on top of Jasmin rice.
Sacha Hirschfeld

Beef Lok Lak (Shaking Beef)

This is my favorite Cambodian dish to make at home. This dish has both French and Chinese influences. Make sure to make the lime and pepper dipping sauce to go with!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Marinading and Chill Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Mains
Cuisine: Cambodian
Calories: 652
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp soy sauce I prefer to use a dark soy sauce; I like Pearl River Bridge Superior Dark for its deep color and mild sweetness
  • 3 tbsp oyster sauce Lee Kum Kee label with lady and boy in a row boat is my favorite
  • 1 tsp sugar I prefer to use palm
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
  • 4 tbsp oil for pan-frying must be high smoke point
  • 1 ½ lb beef tenderloin top sirloin, or rump steak - cut into small cubes or thinly sliced; keep in mind cooking times will vary depending on method
  • green leafy lettuce a few medium sized leaves per plate
  • 4 tomatoes 2 sliced medium thick and 2 diced; keep separate
  • 1 white onion peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 shallot peeled and thinly sliced
  • 5 garlic cloves peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 ½ tbsp Kampot fresh green peppercorns you can order them online; totally worth it!!

Equipment

  • 1 wok or wide skillet
  • 1 wok spatula
  • 1 medium bowl
  • measuring spoons
  • measuring cups

Method
 

  1. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a bowl to create a marinade, then mix in the cubed or sliced beef. Leave to marinade for at least 15 minutes but ideally for a few hours up to 24 hours.
  2. Prepare the dinner plates by layering a corner of each one with lettuce leaves, tomatoes, and raw onion.
  3. Heat the oil in a wok or wide skillet over medium heat, add the shallots and garlic and sauté until slightly golden; take care not to burn the garlic.
  4. Raise the heat, add the marinated beef and the green peppercorns and stir-fry until medium-rare, stirring constantly to keep the beef from sticking.
  5. Add the diced tomatoes, then quickly stir-fry to mix it in. Allow to boil and reduce to a thick sauce. If the heat is too high, add a little stock to help prevent burning.
  6. Spoon the meat onto the salad bed. Serve with hot steamed Jasmine rice and the Lime Pepper Dipping Sauce on the side. Sometimes I add a fried sunny-side-up egg on top, as seen in this photo.

Notes

Make the Lime Pepper Dipping Sauce to go alongside; it's kind of a must!