Bò Lúc Lắc | Vietnamese Shaking Beef

Cut the beef into evenly sized 2.5 cm cubes; uneven pieces will not cook at the same rate. Mix with the soy sauce, oyster sauce, crushed garlic, sugar, and coarsely ground black pepper and set aside. The sauce helps the beef brown as it sears.

Arrange the lettuce on a platter as a bed. Slice the tomato and cucumber and place them around the edge. In a small bowl, mix the lime juice, black pepper, and salt. Serve this dipping sauce on the side for each bite; do not pour it over the dish.

Heat half the oil in a pan and cook the thickly sliced onion and pepper for 3 minutes, turning until the edges brown but the vegetables remain crisp. Transfer to a plate. If cooked in the same pan as the beef, the vegetables will release liquid and prevent the meat from searing.

Heat the empty pan until it just begins to smoke, then add the remaining oil and butter. Arrange the patted-dry beef cubes in a single layer and leave them untouched for 45 seconds. Then hold the pan by its handle and shake it three or four times to turn the cubes; cook for no more than 3 minutes total. Stirring with a spoon draws out the juices and steams the meat.

Return the sautéed vegetables and coarsely chopped scallions to the pan and shake for 30 more seconds. The beef should be dark brown on the outside and pink in the center; if you see a gray ring when you cut into it, it is overcooked.

Transfer everything from the pan onto the bed of lettuce and drizzle any sauce remaining in the pan over the top. Serve the dipping sauce in small bowls on the side. Serve immediately; if left to sit, the beef’s juices will soak into the salad and wilt the lettuce.