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Vietnamese Beef Stew with Star Anise and Lemon Grass (Bò Kho)
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In Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Nguyên Thį Thúy, literature teacher and home cook, showed us how to make bò kho, a fragrant beef stew that marries local ingredients with French culinary technique. Though recipes for bò kho vary from cook to cook, star anise and lemon grass are essential flavorings, the finished broth is always quite soupy (not thickened with starch as Western stews are) and its color is deep red. In simplifying the formula we were taught in Vietnam, we skipped the 30-minute marination of beef with seasonings and we opted to use low-sodium beef broth instead of concentrated meat bouillon. We also chose to use beef chuck instead of brisket, as we find chuck has the right amount of fat and connective tissue to yield both rich flavor and body. Coconut water, along with the beef broth, is the cooking liquid; its natural sugars and minerals enhance the flavor of the stew. Ladle the bò kho over rice stick noodles (prepared according to package directions and divided among individual bowls) or serve with steamed jasmine rice or a crusty baguette.
4-6
Servings
Tip
Don’t use coconut water that contains added sugar. A small amount of natural sugar is normal but check the ingredients listed on the label for added sugar. Also, after adding the liquid to the pot and bringing it to a boil, be sure to turn down the heat and simmer without stirring to allow the scum (proteins from the meat) to rise to the surface. After a few minutes of simmering, use a spoon to skim off and discard the scum; this results in a clearer, more visually appealing broth.
3¼ hours
45 minutes active
2 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil
1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
3 ounces fresh ginger, unpeeled, sliced
8 medium garlic cloves, finely grated
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons chili-garlic sauce, divided, plus more if needed
4 stalks fresh lemon grass, trimmed to the bottom 6 inches, dry outer layers discarded, bruised
6 star anise pods
1 cinnamon stick
3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1½-inch chunks
4 cups or one 33-fluid ounce container unsweetened coconut water (see headnote)
2 cups low-sodium beef broth
4 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice, plus lime wedges to serve
Thinly sliced white onion, to serve
Fresh cilantro and/or basil, to serve
Ingredients
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2
tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil
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1
large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
-
3
ounces fresh ginger, unpeeled, sliced
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8
medium garlic cloves, finely grated
-
2
tablespoons tomato paste
-
2
tablespoons chili-garlic sauce, divided, plus more if needed
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4
stalks fresh lemon grass, trimmed to the bottom 6 inches, dry outer layers discarded, bruised
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6
star anise pods
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1
cinnamon stick
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3
pounds boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1½-inch chunks
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4
cups or one 33-fluid ounce container unsweetened coconut water (see headnote)
-
2
cups low-sodium beef broth
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4
medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces
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2
tablespoons fish sauce
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2
tablespoons lime juice, plus lime wedges to serve
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Thinly sliced white onion, to serve
-
Fresh cilantro and/or basil, to serve
Directions
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01In 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.
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02Using 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.
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03Remove 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.
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04Stir 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.
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05Remove 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.
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Reviews
October 31, 2022
Delicious
I’m not a fan of typical beef stew, but this won me over completely. For the chili garlic sauce I used Tân Tân Mom’s Hot Chili Sauce, a Vietnamese style sauce which nicely mirrored the spices in the stew. I also added half a cabbage with the carrots to make it more nutritious. Very good!
August 21, 2022
Great taste of Vietnam
Really enjoyed this one. Easy delicious and interesting
My asian market was out of lemongrass so I substitued with lemongrass paste in the tube. Not sure how this changed the flavor. One of my favorite recipes. Amazing recipe
What can I substitute for the fish sauce at the end? As someone who keeps kosher, we do not mix fish sauce with meat. Thanks!
Hi Anna -
There isn't a great, quick substitute for fish sauce since it's flavor is so unique. You can try making a vegan "fish sauce." See recipe here - https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-vegan-fish-sauce-130535. This will keep for about a month in the fridge so you can continue to use it. Otherwise you can finish with some soy sauce, but it will not have anywhere near the same flavor profile.
Best,
The Milk Street Team
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Your First Issue
Come on, man. I click on the chili-garlic paste hyperlink and expect to see a recipe and you send me to your Sichuan chili oil? You are better than that, Chris.