Bò Né
The best steak and eggs you will ever have! Bò Né literally means “dodging beef”, as in dodging the splatter of butter and oil as the beef is sizzling on a hot pan when it’s brought out to your table. This is Vietnam’s version of steak and eggs which is often eaten for breakfast. A luxurious yet effortless dish that is perfect for special occasion like Mother’s Day or a once in awhile treat for a hearty weekend brunch.
What is Bò Né?
A sizzling plate of steak, eggs and pate served hot-off-the-stove with a side of crusty baguette. The beef is marinated with various Vietnamese condiments and herbs, which is then sauteed with plenty of onions. Butter is used with a heavy hand and it does not stop there, dollops of pate is smothered on top of the steak. Bread is used as a vehicle to sop up all the delicious flavors from the steak and it’s juicy marinade, runny yolk and creamy pate. It is one of the most indulging and best version of steak and eggs!
Steak and Eggs Around the World
Streak and Eggs | USA
A classic American dish prepared with beefsteak and eggs as primary ingredients. It is the traditional NASA astronaut's breakfast, first served to Alan Shepard before his flight on May 5, 1961. The meal is also the customary pre-landing breakfast of the United States Marine Corps.
Lomo a Lo Pobre | Peru & Chile
Translates to “poor man’s steak” but this dish is anything but skimpy. The ingredients are beef tenderloin topped with one or more fried eggs and French fries. Unlike steak and eggs, lomo a lo pobre is eaten as a lunch or dinner.
Bife à Cavalo | Brazil, Argentina & Portugal
This dish consists of a grilled, or sometimes pan-fried steak, with fried eggs on top. It is usually served with rice and beans and a salad.
Bistec a Caballo | Colombia & Cuba
Also known as creole steak on horseback, this dish consists of a piece of steak with a tomato and onion sauce, topped with a fried egg. It is served with white rice and ripe plantain on the side.
Tapsilog | Philippines
A popular Filipino meal, is a portmanteau of the dish’s three components: tapa (beef), sinangag (garlic fried rice), and itlog (fried egg).
Tanindon | Japan
A classic donburi (rice bowl) dish made with beef, sliced onion and egg cooked in a savory-and-slightly sweet sauce and served atop of steamed rice.
Meen Gnau Fan | China, Hong Kong
This is a popular dish at most Hong Kong cafés. It is made of minced or ground beef fried with peas and bound together with a sweet soy sauce slurry and a Sunny-side-egg on top.
Steak Tartare | France + Rest of Europe
A dish of raw ground beef or horse meat. It is usually seasoned with onions, capers, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and other ingredients, often presented separately, to be added to taste. It is often served with a raw egg yolk on top.
Recipe — Bò Né
Sizzling Steak & Eggs
Serving Size: 2
Preparing the Steak
Thin Ribeye Steak — 8 oz (4 oz each)
Garlic — 2 cloves
Thai Red Chili — 2-3
Shallots — 1
Oyster Sauce — 1 tbsp
Soy Sauce — 1 tbsp
Sugar — 1 tsp
Oil — 1 tbsp
Cut the 8oz ribeye steak in half. Layer each steak pieces between either plastic wrap or parchment paper, then using a meat mallet pound the steak pieces until they are about 1/5 of an inch in thickness. The idea is to make thin steak pieces which will absorb the marinade and cook fast as well.
In a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic, shallot and Thai red chilies into a coarse paste.
In a large mixing bowl, add the paste, along with oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar and oil. Combine all the ingredients into a chunky marinade.
Add the 2 steak pieces to the mixing bowl and coat them well in the marinade. Set aside at room temperature to marinate for 30 minutes.
Prepare Additional Ingredients
While the steak is resting, prepare and assemble the rest of the ingredients.
Yellow Onion — 1 cup, sliced
Cherry Tomatoes — 10-12
Butter — 4 tbsp
Eggs — 4
Pâté — 4 tbsp
Green Onion — 4 stalks, diced, green parts only
Divide all of the above portions equally in half since this recipe is for 2 servings. For example — 1 cup of onion should be divided into 1/2 cup per person, 2 eggs per person etc.
Bringing it Together
Vegetable Oil — 1 tbsp, just enough to coat the pan
Heat oil in a cast iron pan over medium-high heat.
Once the cast iron pan is hot and slightly smokey, place 1 piece of steak and cook it until it has a decent sear, about 2-3 minutes.
Flip the steak over and add 2 tbsp butter. Lower the heat once the butter has melted and spoon the melted butter over the steak.
Once the steak has a nice sear on both sides, add 1/2 cup sliced onions, stir fry them until start to turn translucent. Then place the steak on top of the onions so as it continues to cook it will release all of it’s juice onto the onions.
Increase the heat back to medium-high. Add 5-6 cherry tomatoes to the pan and cook them until they start to blister. Push them to a corner near the steak and onions.
On the empty half of the pan, crack 2 eggs. Season the eggs with salt and pepper and cook it sunny-side-up, until the whites are completely set but the yolks are still runny, about 2 minutes.
To finish, top it off with a generous dollop of pâté, about 2 tbsp. If you want to indulge, you may add an extra dollop of butter as well. Continue cooking until the butter has completely melted and the pâté is starting to soften and the sides are starting to slightly brown.
Repeat the above steps for the second piece of steak.
Garnish + Serve
Remove the cast iron pan from the heat and garnish with green onions and/or cilantro leaves. Serve while hot with some toasted crusty baguette.
Helpful Notes
This recipe is for 2 servings so you will need 2 small cast iron pans. Personally I like to use two 10-12” cast iron skillets and get them going simultaneously on two stovetops. Or you can use a large griddle like this to cook both servings one giant pan.
Make sure to choose the right kind of paté. They can come from a variety of sources such as poultry, game, beef, seafood, lamb or pork. For this recipe, I personally recommend patés made of chicken and/or pork.
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