How to Cook Cambodian’s Beef Lok Lak

If people ask me what Cambodian’s cuisine tastes like?  Simple thing I would say is, “rich”.  No doubt, it took me not that long to adapt to the distinct taste, aroma, and appearance of Khmer or Cambodian cuisine.  I can vividly recall how eating khmer dishes before was too unpalatable for me.  I bet you would all say it’s normal.  Yes it is.  Maybe just like how you all first tried some Filipino dishes we have. Anyway, I would love to share with you all how to cook an extremely simple Cambodian dish called “Beef Lok Lak”.  It is extremely simple that you may wonder how does this one taste so divine? So irresistible? So sumptuous?  

A little history about this dish called Beef Lok Lak, according to wikipedia, Bò lúc lắc is also part of the Cambodian cuisine where it is known as beef lok lak (Khmer: ឡុកឡាក់សាច់គោ, lok lak sach kor) and often considered a national dish. It could have entered Cambodian cuisine during the Vietnamese colonization of Cambodia from 1834 to 1867 or afterwards when both Cambodia and Vietnam were part of the French Indochina. Lok lak sach kor is beef with pepper sauce on top of lettuce, tomatoes and raw onions. The version with cheap cuts of beef and Chinese oyster sauce was influenced by Chinese culinary techniques. The original lok lak used high-quality steak fried with French butter which stems from Indochina’s French colonial past.

Wow, a dish full of history and flavor! Let’s take a closer look at how to cook it.

INGREDIENTS

• 300g beef steaks, sliced (best you can afford)
• 1⁄4cup light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon tomato sauce (ketchup)
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

TO SERVE

• 2 small tomatoes, sliced
• 1 cucumber, peeled and finely sliced
• 1⁄2 small red onion, finely sliced
•  lettuce, iceberg or romaine leaf

DIPPING SAUCE

• juice of a lime
• 2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt or 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon water

DIRECTIONS

• 1. Mix beef with soy sauce, oyster sauce, tomato sauce sugar, fish sauce and ground black pepper and garlic in a large bowl
• 2. Marinate at least 20 minutes or up to one hour.
• 3. Make dipping sauce; combine ingredients in a small bowl-set aside.
• 4. Decorate two dinner plates with sliced tomatoes, cucumber and onion. Set aside.
• 5.Place the lettuce leaves on a separate platter.
• 6. Heat oil in a wok over a high heat and stir-fry beef until cooked. Divide between the two dinner plates.

Now you’re ready to experience Cambodia through this Beef Lok Lak, enjoy!

ps : I am uploading this for class related purposes. I have tried cooking this before, and not recently anymore since I try to avoid meat. However, the beautiful taste of this dish is forever stored on my palate.

Happy thoughts,

Teriz

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