Memories of My Mom: Bo Luc Lac

Bo luc lac translates to "shaking beef" because the beef is seared in a wok at high temperatures and you shake the wok to ensure even cooking. It was always a good day to come home from school and see this waiting for us on the counter. Mom would make the vinaigrette to pour over, but salt/pepper/lime is much easier and just as delicious.

The beauty of Vietnamese cooking, for me, is that it is peasant food. I'm always skeptical when I hear about 'high end' Vietnamese restaurants because frou frou would take the soul out of the dishes...it is like listening to a coffee shop singer in a 15,000 seat amphitheater, good concert but not a great one. The best foods are the street vendor foods like the pate chaud or the banh mi (sandwiches), but I am learning that my people are wizards with a grate, some charcoal and chopsticks - everything becomes street vendor food, even pho!

This dish is no exception - marinated cubes of beef quickly seared and served over a bed of mixed greens, cucumbers and tomatoes with steamed rice and a little dish of salt/pepper/lime to dip the meat in. Nothing fancy, but the flavor is so, so good! This is the first dish I ever made for David - it's my "secret weapon", if you will. One bite and he was powerless to resist me. ;) :) ;)

- 1 to 2 lbs of beef tenderloin, cut into cubes slightly larger than bite-sized

- 6 cloves of garlic, crushed (this is where pre-peeled garlic and a minichopper comes in quite handy)

- 2-3 T soy sauce

- 2-3 T fish sauce

- 1 T sugar

- 2 T oil (veg or olive) - optional

- freshly ground black pepper (lots!!!)

- one sweet onion, peeled and cut into wedges

- spring mix or watercress...or both

- 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced on the diagonal

- grape tomatoes

- hard boiled eggs, cut into wedges (optional)

- salt

- pepper

- lime juice

- Mix the garlic, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, pepper and oil together and marinade the meat for at least an hour...but if you can overnight, it will taste better.

- Heat a small amount of oil in a wok over high heat. Saute the onion until soft and translucent. Put onions in a bowl and set aside.

- In the same wok, sear the meat in batches so that they will brown evenly but still be medium-rare to medium in the center. If you overcrowd the pan, the meat will give off too much juice and start to braise. Try to avoid this.

- After the meat is seared, quickly saute the onions a second time in the same wok so that they will take on a golden hue and the flavors from the meat. Mix the onions with the meat and pour over the spring mix salad (with cucumbers, tomatoes and eggs).

- Each person should get a small dipping bowl of equal parts salt/pepper. Squeeze a wedge or 2 of lime juice over the salt/pepper.

- Serve the beef with steamed rice. It is best to dip the beef in the salt/pepper/lime mixture before eating.