AI-generated image
Beef lok lak
Peppery stir-fried beef
Lok lak (ឡុកឡាក់): Cambodian peppery stir-fried beef with lime-pepper dip
Lok lak is a favourite in Phnom Penh restaurants and family kitchens, a dish Cambodians often order on special nights out. Cubes of beef are marinated in oyster sauce, soy and garlic, seared fast in a hot wok and served on lettuce, tomato and onion with rice, a fried egg on top and a tiny bowl of tuk meric: Kampot black pepper, salt and lime juice for dipping. Chef's tip: dry the beef well and cook it in a very hot pan in two batches; it should sear, not stew.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the beef
- 1 ⅓ lb beef sirloin or rumpcut into 2 cm cubes
- 4 cloves garliccrushed
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp palm or brown sugar
- 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 1 tsp cornflour
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 red onioncut into wedges
For the dip (tuk meric)
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp lime juice
To serve
- 1 head lettuce leaves
- 2 tomatoessliced
- ½ cucumbersliced
- 4 eggs
- 1 ⅓ lb cooked jasmine rice
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (8)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅓ lb beef sirloin or rump with 4 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp fish sauce, 1 tsp palm or brown sugar, 1 tbsp tomato ketchup, 1 tsp cornflour and 1 tsp black pepper. Marinate in the fridge for 20 minutes.
20 minStep 2: Stir 1 tbsp Kampot or black peppercorns, coarsely ground, 1 tsp salt and 3 tbsp lime juice together in small bowls for dipping.
2 minStep 3: Arrange 1 head lettuce leaves, 2 tomatoes and ½ cucumber on plates.
3 minStep 4: Heat a wok over a high heat until smoking, add 1 tbsp 1 tbsp vegetable oil and half the beef in one layer. Sear for 1 minute without moving, then toss for 1–2 minutes until browned outside and pink inside (cook longer if you prefer it well done). Repeat with the rest. A common mistake is crowding the wok, which leaves the beef grey and watery.
6 minStep 5: Return all the beef with 1 red onion and toss for 1 minute. Spoon onto the salad.
1 minStep 6: Fry 4 eggs in the remaining 1 tbsp vegetable oil until the whites are set. Serve the beef with 1 ⅓ lb cooked jasmine rice and a fried egg, dipping each piece into the lime-pepper sauce.
4 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does beef lok lak take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of oyster sauce?
- Hoisin sauce, same amount (sweeter).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Pork souvlaki
This is a pork recipe. Walk through any Greek town after dark, from Athens to Thessaloniki, and the smell of souvlaki stands drifts down the street; cubes of pork shoulder grilled on thin skewers are the country's favourite cheap supper, eaten standing up or at a plastic-table taverna. At home you marinate the meat in lemon, olive oil, garlic and dried oregano, grill it hard and fast, and pile it on warm pitta with tzatziki, tomato and red onion. Chef's tip: cut the pork into even 2.5 cm cubes and leave a little fat on; lean loin dries out, shoulder stays juicy over high heat.
Greek
Pfälzer SaumagenStuffed pig's stomach
Saumagen is the pride of the Palatinate, served at wine-village festivals and family dinners from the Haardt hills to Ludwigshafen. A cleaned pig's stomach is stuffed with diced pork shoulder, pork sausage meat, potato and carrot seasoned with marjoram and nutmeg, poached slowly, then sliced thick and fried until crusty. The stomach works only as a casing and is ordered from a butcher; if you can't get one, bake the same filling in a covered terrine in a water bath. Serve with sauerkraut and mashed potato. Chef's tip: fill the stomach only three-quarters full, or it bursts as the potatoes swell.
German
Chha goshtLamb in buttermilk gravy
Up in the hill villages of Himachal Pradesh, where flocks are walked to summer pastures, lamb is often cooked in chhaachh, the thin buttermilk left after churning butter. Thickened with a spoonful of gram flour, it makes a pale, gently sour gravy that is milder and lighter than the red curries of the plains, and it is a favourite at dhams, the festive meals of the Kangra and Chamba valleys. Serve it with steamed rice or makki ki roti. Chef's tip: whisk the gram flour into the buttermilk until there are no lumps before it goes near the pot; once it hits the heat, any lumps stay lumps.
Indian