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Vietnamese Beef Stew with Star Anise and Lemon Grass (Bò Kho)
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
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
Ingredients
-
2
tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil
-
1
large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
Directions

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