Luc Lac Beef 柬埔寨炒牛肉(jiǎn pǔ zhài chǎo niǔ ròu) is a popular Cambodian dish. From my readings, you can find this dish in both Vietnam and Cambodia. The flavours differ and it’s difficult to say which recipes are more authentic. In my recipe, I tried to replicate the taste of the Luc Lac Beef served at a popular Cambodian-Vietnamese Restaurant here in Vancouver called Phnom Penh. Their Luc Lac Beef is so good that I’ve never cared to try Luc Lac Beef from anywhere else.
It seems like most recipes for Luc Lac Beef 柬埔寨炒牛肉 add garlic, onions and peppers. The beef is also usually cut into cubes and served with a kampot and lime dipping sauce. I didn’t add any garlic, onions or peppers to my Luc Lac Beef 柬埔寨炒牛肉 recipe. This is because I'm trying to make it like they make it at Phnom Penh Restaurant. Since the sauce in my recipe is already quite thick and abundant I don't think an additional sauce would be necessary.
It’s a very simple dish to make but to make your beef tender, I highly recommend cooking it at high heat (approx. 220˚C or 430˚F). Only with high heat can you create a quick sear on the meat that can seal in the juices. Without a quick sear, your dish can easily become watery making your beef tough in texture.
Although I can’t boast that my Luc Lac Beef 柬埔寨炒牛肉 recipe is authentic in anyway, I can say that it is very delicious. If your family likes beef, I have no doubt that it will become a family favourite. You’ll love it too because it’s so easy to make.
If you love the dishes from Phnom Penh Restaurant like I do but can’t get there, take a look at a couple of my other recipes……Crispy Chili Garlic Chicken Wings 椒鹽酥炸雞 and Butter Beef Carpaccio 生牛肉伴蒜油醋. They can help curb your cravings!
Luc Lac Beef 柬埔寨炒牛肉
Ingredients
- 450 g Beef , sliced
- 1 Egg (optional)
- 2 slices Tomato (optional)
- 2 Lettuce leaves
- 3 tbsp Oil
Ingredients for marinade:
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 2 tsp Dark soy sauce
- 2 tsp Cornstarch
- 1/8 tsp White pepper powder
- ¼ tsp Garlic powder
- 2 tsp Oil
Ingredients for sauce:
- 2 tsp Dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Light soy sauce
- 1 ½ tsp Sugar
- 125 ml Water
- 1½ tsp Corn starch
Instructions
- Slice beef to your preferred thickness
- Marinate the beef with 1 tsp sugar, 2 tsp dark soy sauce, 2 tsp cornstarch, 1/8 tsp white pepper powder and ¼ garlic powder. Mix well. Add 2 tsp oil and mix well again. Marinate for 30 minutes
- Combine 1½ tsp corn starch, 2 tsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1½ tsp sugar and 125 ml water. Mix and set aside
- Heat wok at high heat and add 3 tbsp oil
When I use high heat to cook meats, after adding oil, the wok temperature is approx. 220˚C or 430˚F - Optional: just before stir-frying the beef, pan-fry an egg to your preferred doneness
- Optional: shred some lettuce and slice a couple slices of tomatoes for garnish
- Give the beef another mix and put it into the wok. Arrange in single layer and let it sear for 45 seconds or until you can see some browning on the beef
- Flip the beef over and let it sear for 45 seconds
- Stir-fry for 20 seconds for thin-cut beef, 40 seconds for thick-cut beef
- Stir the prepared sauce mixture and add to the wok
- Stir-fry for another 20 seconds until the sauce is thick
- Serve on a bed of rice for best results
Just made this tonight and my husband loved it so much, said it was very similar to the real dish at phnom Penh!! Thank you!!
Hi Trinh, thanks for trying out my recipe! Do you think you can give me a 5 star rating? That would be very helpful!