Vietnamese Beef Stew (Bo' Kho)

Nolita_Food's Note:

My mom and dad make this dish in the winter a lot. Every time they do, the whole house smells wonderful. One time my mom came to visit me in boarding school in England. She cooked one pot, I ate for a whole week and got on the black list of all Asians in school. It taste good steaming hot with French bread, and also very good in sandwiches. Some ingredients are available at normal grocery stores. You can get star anise and Thai Basil at Asian stores, natural food stores

• Total Time: 3 hrs
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 2 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 2 lbs boneless beef chuck, cut into 1.5 inch cube (weigh after trimming)
• 1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 2 inch pieces and bruised
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Chinese five spice powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons minced ginger
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes or 1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 lb carrot, peeled,cut into 1 inch chunks
• 2 star anise
• 3 cups water
• Thai basil (optional)
• cilantro (optional)

Directions:

1. Mix lemongrass, fish sauce, 5-spice powder, ginger, brown sugar and bay leaf, marinate the beef for 30 minutes.
2. 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.
3. Reduce heat to medium, cook onions till translucent (5 minutes), then add tomato and cook with lid on for another 12-15 minutes.
4. If sauce is too thick, add a bit of water.
5. Add back the beef, lemongrass, bay leaf and star anise, cook uncovered for 5 minutes then add water.
6. Bring pot to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
7. Add carrots and simmer for another 45 minutes until beef and carrots are tender.
8. Remove bay leaf, lemongrass and star anise before serving with cilantro and Thai basil.
9. Taste great with steam rice or French bread.

Reviews

[KacerPie]

I made this for my husband (whos Vietnamese) when he said he felt like Vietnamese but didnt want to go out. The first time I made it I didnt have any lemongrass, so I put in the zest of 1 lemon. Everyone, including our 3 and 4 year olds ate seconds. The left overs were better the next day and he was told by a co-worker that it tasted like the Bo Kho his mom made back in Vietnam. Will be making it for Christmas at his brothers.

[suziwombat]

Thanks for a great recipe. It worked for the entire family so I will definitely be cooking this again during the cold winter months in Sydney. I was cautious with the Chinese 5-spice powder as it can be overpowering but it turned out just fine. I agree with one of the reviewer that it was a bit finicky picking out the broken pieces of star anise so I would suggest using a herb bag made of muslin (can be bought at Asian stores). I won't forget to use it next time. Never one to do anything in small proportions (my 19 year old son has a bottomless pit!), I actually doubled the recipe and it was perfect. Best to do it the day before you eat it as the flavours develop further in the fridge. Yummy and thank you!

[P. Ariel]

Just finished making this - it's delicious! I'm always a bit nervous to try and cook dishes that I enjoy at my favourite ethnic restaurants 'cause I think they'll never turn out as well. This recipe is fantastic and I will definitely make it again. Thank you!