Bò Kho Recipe Vietnamese Beef Stew Hungry Huy

BO KHO: SPICY VIETNAMESE BEEF STEW WITH NOODLES

Steps:

• First marinate the beef. Combine the beef with the garlic, ginger, fish sauce, five-spice powder, and brown sugar until each piece is evenly coated. Marinate for 30 minutes.
• Next, heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Add the stalks of lemongrass and allow them to infuse the oil for 1 minute. Next, add the minced lemongrass and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the onions and cook until translucent. Then add all of the beef to the pot, and brown evenly on all sides. Add the tomato paste.
• Stir and cook uncovered for 5 minutes. Add the water, coconut water, star anise, ground black pepper, chili powder, annatto, and paprika. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.
• After an hour has passed, add the carrots, salt, soy sauce, and chili oil. Simmer for another 40 minutes.
• To serve, remove the large lemongrass stalks and any star anise pods you can fish out. Cook your noodles per package instructions, transfer to bowls, and ladle the soup over the top.
• Garnish with cilantro, Thai basil, and raw onion, and serve with some lime wedges on the side.

BO KHO (VIETNAMESE BRAISED BEEF STEW)

Steps:

• Make the marinade: Stir together fish sauce, sugar, ginger, 5-spice powder and pepper.
• Put beef in a large bowl, add marinade and massage into meat. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes, or longer if time permits (may be wrapped and refrigerated overnight if desired).
• Put oil in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, fry the beef cubes in small batches, taking care not to crowd them, until nicely browned. When all beef is browned, return chunks to pot. Add shallots, stir to combine and continue cooking for 4 to 5 minutes, or until softened.
• Add tomato, ginger, garlic, lemongrass, salt and annatto, if using, and stir well to coat, then add star anise, cinnamon and chile. Cover with 4 cups water and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to a simmer, cover with lid ajar and cook for about 1 hour 15 minutes, or until fork-tender.
• Add carrots to pot and cook 15 minutes more. Skim fat from surface of broth as necessary (or refrigerate overnight and remove congealed fat before reheating).
• To serve, ladle into individual bowls. Garnish with scallions, cilantro, mint and basil.

VIETNAMESE BEEF STEW WITH STAR ANISE AND LEMON GRASS (Bò KHO)

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, heat the oil until barely smoking. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic, then cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until well browned and beginning to stick to the pot, about 1 minute. Stir in the chili-garlic sauce, then add the lemon grass, star anise, cinnamon and beef, then stir to coat. Add the coconut water and broth. Bring to a boil over medium-high, then reduce to medium-low and cook, uncovered and without stirring, for about 4 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a simmer.
• Using a wide spoon, skim off and discard the scum from the surface of the liquid. Reduce to medium-low, cover and cook, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a simmer, until a skewer inserted into the beef meets no resistance, 2 to 2½ hours.
• Remove the pot from the heat. Remove and discard the lemon grass, star anise, cinnamon and ginger. Tilt the pot to pool the cooking liquid to one side, then use the wide spoon to skim off and discard as much fat as possible from the surface.
• Stir the carrots into the stew and return to a simmer over medium. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a simmer, until the carrots are tender, about 15 minutes.
• Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the fish sauce and lime juice. Taste and season with additional chili-garlic sauce (if desired), salt and pepper. Ladle the stew into bowls and top with sliced onion and cilantro and/or basil. Serve with lime wedges.

VIETNAMESE BEEF STEW (BO' KHO)

Steps:

• Mix lemongrass, fish sauce, 5-spice powder, ginger, brown sugar and bay leaf, marinate the beef for 30 minutes.
• Over high heat, heat oil in a heavy-bottemed 5-quart pot, sear the beef quickly then remove, reserve lemongrass and bay leaf for later use.
• Reduce heat to medium, cook onions till translucent (5 minutes), then add tomato and cook with lid on for another 12-15 minutes.
• If sauce is too thick, add a bit of water.
• Add back the beef, lemongrass, bay leaf and star anise, cook uncovered for 5 minutes then add water.
• Bring pot to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• Add carrots and simmer for another 45 minutes until beef and carrots are tender.
• Remove bay leaf, lemongrass and star anise before serving with cilantro and Thai basil.
• Taste great with steam rice or French bread.