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Shaking beef

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(Redirected from Lok lak)
Shaking beef
Alternative namesBo luc lac
Place of originVietnam
Region or stateSoutheast Asia
Associated cuisineVietnamese and Cambodian
Serving temperatureHot
Main ingredientsBeef, cucumber, lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, pepper, soy sauce, fish sauce, and oyster sauce.
Food energy
(per 240 serving)
655 kcal (2742 kJ)[1]
Nutritional value
(per 240 serving)
Protein39 g
Fat52 g
Carbohydrate6.4 g
Similar dishesLomo saltado

Shaking beef or bo luc lac (Vietnamese: bò lúc lắc, French: bœuf lôc lac) is a Vietnamese dish that consists of beef that has been cut into small cubes, marinated with soy sauce, fish sauce and oyster sauce, then sauteed in a wok with red onion and pepper before being served on a bed of fresh lettuce with slices of tomato and cucumber. Prior to French colonization, beef was considered a luxury ingredient in Vietnam, as cows were rarely slaughtered for food and were kept as working animals to be used for labor instead. This dish was, therefore, mostly reserved for formal events, such as wedding banquets and anniversaries, although now it has become a common food.[2][3][4]

Etymology and origin

[edit]

The dish originated from the sidewalk eateries of Saigon.[5]

In the Vietnamese language, means "beef" and lúc lắc means "shaken" or “shaking”.[6][7] Thus, lúc lắc could refer to the constant shaking of the wok that’s needed to get every individual steak cube evenly seared on all sides, while keeping them nice and juicy on the inside.[8] Alternatively, it can be in reference to the movement of the beef cubes themselves. These diced pieces of meat are basically shaking (moving back and forth) as they are tossed about in the wok.[9]

The word lúc lắc can also be connected to how the small pieces of beef resemble playing dice, which are called hột lúc lắc in Vietnamese.[10][11] [12]

The reason why the beef is cut into smaller cubed pieces resembling dice is because the use of chopsticks in the eastern Asia culture of the Vietnamese, being better suited for picking and eating smaller sizes rather than larger strip pieces.[13][14]

Popularity

[edit]

The dish is also popular in United States, where it got the name "shaking beef", a calque of the original Vietnamese name.[15]

Cambodian lok lak

From Vietnam shaking beef has also spread to neighboring Cambodia, where the dish is known as lok lak or loc lac (Khmer: ឡុកឡាក់) and is often considered a national dish.[9][16] The Khmer name lok lak is also a loanword from Vietnamese lúc lắc.[17][18] The initial Cambodian version consisted of high-quality steak cut into cubes and pan-seared in French butter, which stems from Indochina's French colonial past. Later, a more simplified version influenced by Chinese culinary techniques emerged using cheaper cuts of beef and Chinese oyster sauce. This is the version generally eaten in Cambodia today.[19] Unlike in Vietnam, the beef is cut into strips in Cambodia.[20]

References

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  1. ^ "Shaking Beef: Nutrition Facts". Nutritionix. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  2. ^ Le, Helen (2014). Vietnamese Food with Helen's Recipes. CreateSpace. ISBN 9781500529710.
  3. ^ Le, Tam (31 August 2020). "Shaken Beef". Delish. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  4. ^ Ngo, Tristan (5 September 2018). "Bo Luc Lac - Cubed Beef". Asia Life. Archived from the original on 25 January 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  5. ^ "Các làm món Bò lúc lắc thơm ngon, hấp dẩn". Mami Farm. 2024-04-20. Retrieved 2024-11-29. Bò lúc lăc có nguồn gốc từ các quán ăn vỉa hè ờ Sài Gòn. (trans: Shaking beef has its origins from the sidewalk eateries of old Saigon.)
  6. ^ Livingston, Rika (24 March 2021). "Bo Luc Lac Recipe (Vietnamese Shaking Beef)". Posh Journal. Retrieved 13 April 2023. Bò Lúc Lắc is a famous Vietnamese beef stir fry. In the Vietnamese language, bo means beef, and Lúc Lắc means shaken.
  7. ^ Trinh, Philippe (4 November 2024). "Bo Luc Lac - Vietnamese Shaking Beef Recipe". Whiskey and Booch.
  8. ^ Beiser, Alpana (23 July 2022). "Bò Lúc Lắc (Vietnamese Shaking Beef)". GypsyPlate.
  9. ^ a b Gérard, Sabrina (24 June 2018). "Lok Lak". 196 Flavors. Lok lak is so popular in Cambodia that you could think it is originally from there, but it actually comes from Vietnam, where it is called bò lúc lắc. Bò means "beef" and lúc lắc means "stir" or "shake". This term evokes the movement of the diced meat in the wok.
  10. ^ "Fried Rice with Shaking Beef (Cơm Chiên Bò Lúc Lắc)". Vietnamese Food Recipes. 16 September 2024.
  11. ^ Quốc, Đũng (2017-12-27). "Bò lúc lắc ngon 'xúc xắc' phố Bolsa". Người Việt. Retrieved 2024-11-29. Mà "xúc xắc" cũng chính là hình dáng của thịt bò, được xắt từng miếng nhỏ như kích thước của những viên xúc xắc (hoặc gọi là hột lúc lắc) trước khi áp chảo. (trans:But "dice" is also the shape of beef, cut into small pieces like the size of xúc xắc (or also called lúc lắc) before pan-frying.)
  12. ^ "Bò lúc lắc - Món ngon đậm chất Âu". Dân Trí. 2022-11-08. Retrieved 2024-11-29. Chính vì vậy mà món ăn này được đặt tên là bò lúc lắc như cách gọi lái của từ xúc xắc. (trans:That's why this dish is named bò lúc lắc, a play on the word xúc xắc.)
  13. ^ "Nguyên liệu, tẩm ướp và hướng dẫn cách làm bò lúc lắc ngon tài nhà". Việt Giải Trí. 2021-08-11. Retrieved 2024-11-29. Thay vì ăn cả miếng steak dày của người Tây thì chúng ta đã thái miếng nhỏ nhắn, xinh xắn hơn để phù hợp với văn hóa phương Đông. (trans:Instead of eating whole steaks like Westerners do, we cut it into smaller, prettier pieces to suit Eastern culture.)
  14. ^ Gérard, Sabrina (2018-09-24). "Lok Lak". 196 Flavors. Retrieved 2024-11-29. Because of the use of chopsticks in Vietnamese cuisine, the steak in the bò lúc lắc is cut into pieces.
  15. ^ "Nguyên liệu, tẩm ướp và hướng dẫn cách làm bò lúc lắc ngon tài nhà". Việt Giải Trí. 2021-08-11. Retrieved 2024-11-29. Tại Hoa Kỳ, món ăn này cũng mang một cái tên khác là "shaking beef" đúng theo bản dịch nghĩa đen của tiếng Việt. (trans:In America, this dish also has another name called "shaking beef", which is the literal translation from Vietnamese.)
  16. ^ Emmerson, Miranda (2014). Fragrant Heart. Summersdale. ISBN 9781783720545. The classic Khmer dish loc lac (shaking beef) derives from the Vietnamese standard thit bo luc lac, yet in Cambodia it is regarded proudly as a home-grown national dish.
  17. ^ Chorm, Evan (10 December 2018). "Khmer Food Terms and Etymologies". Angkor - Cambodian Food.
  18. ^ "Beef Lok Lak". Visit angkor. 2024-06-06. Retrieved 2024-11-29. It is said that the name lok lak goes back to the Vietnamese bo luc lac, which means "shaking meat".
  19. ^ Parkinson, Charles (1 April 2016). "Meet the London Chef Serving Cambodian Dishes That Escaped a Genocide". Vice. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  20. ^ Gérard, Sabrina (2018-09-24). "Lok Lak". 196 Flavors. Retrieved 2024-11-29. Beef is cut into strips in Cambodia unlike in Vietnam where it is diced.