Bò Kho (Vietnamese Beef Stew)

Method5 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Clean the meat. Add beef to a large pot and add 1 tbsp salt and enough tap water to barely cover the meat. Bring to a boil on high heat, and once it hits a boil for 30 seconds, kill the heat, drain, and rinse under running water to clean. If you haven't cut the meat into 3/4 - 1" pieces yet, do it now.

   Briefly blanch beef · 1 minUses 2 lb beef shank (cut into 3/4 - 1" pieces) · tap water · 1 tbsp salt

2. 2

   Step 2: Mix the blanched, rinsed beef with the marinade ingredients:2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp hoisin sauce, 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp Vietnamese beef-stew seasoning. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours, or overnight.

   Marinate beef refrigerated · 120 minUses 2 tbsp soy sauce · 2 tbsp hoisin sauce · 2 tsp salt · 1 tsp Vietnamese beef stew seasoning · beef briefly boiled thirty seconds in cleaning water and salt, drained and rinsed

3. 3

   Step 3: Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the cooking oil (2 tbsp), then the garlic (4 cloves) and stir until light brown. If using paprika (1 tsp), stir it in about 30 seconds until fragrant.

   Uses 2 tbsp neutral cooking oil · 4 cloves garlic (roughly chopped) · 1 tsp paprika (optional, for extra color boost)

4. 4

   Step 4: Add the marinated beef to the garlic oil base with the separate 1 tbsp beef-stew seasoning, quartered onion (1), ginger (1.5 tbsp), pounded lemongrass (1–2 stalk), tomato paste (2 tbsp), dark soy sauce (2 tbsp), star anise (3–4), bay leaves (4–5 leaves), chicken broth (1 can), soda and filtered water (5 cup), reserving carrots (2–3). Bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer and braise 60–90 minutes until the beef is tender. Add carrots in the final 10 minutes and cook until softened. Discard the cooked onion, star anise, bay leaves and tough lemongrass before serving.

   Braise beef · 90 minUses 1 tbsp Vietnamese beef stew seasoning · 1 onion · 1.5 tbsp fresh ginger (sliced or pounded) · 1–2 stalk lemongrass · 2 tbsp tomato paste · 2 tbsp dark soy sauce · 3–4 star anise · 4–5 leaves bay leaves

5. 5

   Step 5: Serve the stew with Vietnamese baguettes (6), fresh Thai basil (1 bunch) and sliced jalapenos (2). Offer a separate small dish of salt and pepper with lemon (1) juice for dipping pieces of meat.

   Uses 6 Vietnamese baguettes · 2 sliced jalapenos · 1 sliced lemon · salt and pepper · 1 bunch Thai basil · beef simmered sixty to ninety minutes with broth ingredients, carrots in last ten minutes, whole aromatics discarded