DISH RESEARCH · Dish
Lok Lak
Cambodian seared beef cubes in a glossy oyster-and-soy sauce, served with salad, rice and lime–Kampot pepper dip.
About Lok Lak
Lok Lak is a Cambodian dish of cubed beef seared over high heat and coated in a savoury pepper sauce. This profile follows a Cambodian pepper-beef version with oyster sauce, light and sweet dark soy sauces, garlic and fragrant Kampot pepper.
The beef is deeply savoury and gently sweet, with oyster sauce adding briny depth and soy sauces bringing salt and colour. Kampot pepper supplies a floral warmth, while the lime, salt and pepper dip gives each bite a sharp, fresh contrast.
The finished beef is browned at the edges and glossy with sauce, with red-onion wedges still retaining some shape. It is plated on crisp lettuce and sliced tomato, with white steamed rice and a small bowl of speckled lime-pepper sauce alongside.
Allergens in this recipe
Contains: Molluscs, Soy.
Other allergen details are unconfirmed.
Ingredients vary by restaurant. Confirm your allergens with staff before ordering.
Ingredients in Lok Lak
Cambodian Pepper Beef Lok Lak with Kampot Pepper.
- Sirloin or striploin steakTender cubed beef centrepiece
- Vegetable oilHigh-heat cooking medium
- Red onionSweet, crisp aromatic
- TomatoFresh juicy serving layer
- Lettuce leavesCrisp serving bed
- Steamed ricePlain starch accompaniment
- Oyster sauceBriny savoury marinade and glaze
- Soy sauceSalty fermented seasoning
- Sweet dark soy sauceDark colour and mild sweetness
- Ground Kampot pepperFloral Cambodian pepper warmth
- CornstarchMarinade and sauce body
- Baking sodaBeef tenderising agent
- GarlicPungent marinade aroma
- SugarBalances the stir-fry glaze
- Lime juiceSharp dipping-sauce acidity
- Sea saltDipping-sauce seasoning
Ingredient details & uncertainties
Allergen information is incomplete. Unconfirmed details do not establish that an allergen is absent.
- Sirloin or striploin steak: . The named steak cuts map to the established beef route
- Vegetable oil: . The exact plant source, blend and refining status are unprovided
- Red onion:
- Tomato:
- Lettuce leaves:
- Steamed rice:
- Oyster sauce: . Named oyster sauce confirms Molluscs; the full commercial formula and additional allergens are unprovided
- Soy sauce: . Named soy sauce confirms Soy; its grain and full commercial formula remain unresolved
- Sweet dark soy sauce: . Named dark soy sauce confirms Soy; its grain, sweetener and full commercial formula remain unresolved
- Ground Kampot pepper:
- Cornstarch:
- Baking soda:
- Garlic:
- Sugar:
- Lime juice:
- Sea salt:
Origins & food traditions
Marion's Kitchen supplies the complete Cambodian pepper beef recipe selected here, including the oyster-and-soy marinade, Kampot pepper, fast sear and lime-pepper dip. Grantourismo Travels independently identifies beef lok lak as a traditional Cambodian pepper beef dish commonly served with tomato and confirms Kampot pepper as a defining flavour, while noting that the dish's deeper origins are debated.
Countries
- Cambodia
- CambodiaCatalogue link pending review
Cuisines & regions
- Cambodian Cuisine
- Khmer Cuisine
- Khmer CuisineCatalogue link pending review
AI-generated illustration of one possible presentation. Recipes and ingredients vary; the image does not establish allergen content.