🇰🇭 Cambodian Cuisine

Lok Lak

Stir-Fried Beef

Prep Time 20 min
Servings 2
Difficulty Easy
Calories 445 kcal

Tender beef cubes stir-fried in a savory lime-pepper sauce, served atop lettuce with a fried egg and tomato. A Cambodian-French fusion classic.

Ingredients

  • 300g beef tenderloin or sirloin, cut into two-centimetre cubes
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus 2 tbsp for stir-frying
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 large onion, cut into thick rings
  • 2 ripe tomatoes, sliced into wedges
  • Lettuce leaves for serving
  • 2 fried eggs
  • For dipping sauce: 2 tbsp lime juice, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper

Instructions

  1. 1 Combine the beef cubes with soy sauce, one tablespoon of oil, and half the minced garlic in a bowl. Toss to coat evenly, then let the beef marinate at room temperature for at least twenty minutes.
  2. 2 Prepare the Cambodian dipping sauce by mixing the lime juice, salt, and black pepper in a small dish. Stir until the salt dissolves. This classic combination is called tuk meric and is essential to the dish.
  3. 3 Arrange a bed of fresh lettuce leaves on a serving platter. Place the tomato wedges and a few onion rings around the edges as a fresh, crisp base for the stir-fried beef.
  4. 4 Heat a wok or large heavy skillet over the highest heat possible until it begins to smoke. Add two tablespoons of oil and swirl to coat the surface, then add the remaining garlic and stir for five seconds.
  5. 5 Add the marinated beef cubes in a single layer, letting them sear without stirring for about thirty seconds until a dark crust forms. Toss vigorously, then sear again for another thirty seconds on the other side.
  6. 6 Add the onion rings and oyster sauce to the wok, tossing everything together for about thirty seconds more. The total cooking time should be under two minutes to keep the beef medium-rare and juicy inside.
  7. 7 Immediately transfer the beef and onions onto the prepared lettuce platter. Top with fried eggs, sprinkle generously with cracked black pepper, and serve the lime-pepper dipping sauce alongside with steamed rice.

Did You Know?

Lok lak shows the influence of French colonialism on Cambodian cuisine, similar to a steak frites concept.

From The Culinary Codex — http://theculinarycodex.com/dish/cambodian/lok-lak/