globe outlook-b

Join! 12 weeks for $1

The New Milk Street Cookbook | Order + Save 40%!

Tvcb 4 Spine Mock Shaddow

EVERY RECIPE FROM THE FIRST 4 SEASONS

In Ho Chi Minh City, coconut water lightens a boldly spiced, richly aromatic stew

Vietnamese Beef Stew with Star Anise and Lemon Grass (Bò Kho)

Appears in January-February 2021

3¼ hours 45 minutes active

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.

Featured in

Ingredients
  • 2

    tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil

  • 1

    large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced

Directions
  1. 01
    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.
vietnamese-beef-stew-bò-kho

Pardon the interruption

You need to be a Milk Street Digital Member to see the full recipe

JOIN MILK STREET DIGITAL & PRINT
12 WEEKS FOR JUST $1

and get access to all of our recipes and articles online, as well as in print.

GET DIGITAL & PRINT
How we use your email.

Your email address is required to identify your subscription. We will use it for customer service as well as other communications from Milk Street. We will not share, or rent your email address.

View other subscription options here

Already a member? Login

ENTER FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN THIS MONTH’S

MILK STREET GIVEAWAY

JANUARY 2021
J.K. ADAMS FOR MILK STREET EBOARD + MILK STREET KITCHIN-TO KNIFE

$238.95 VALUE

Success!

Thank you for participating in our monthly giveaway!
Entry Form
How we use your email.

Your email address is required to identify your giveaway entry as well as communications from Milk Street. We will not share or rent your email address. You can unsubscribe from receiving our emails at any time.

Enter the Milk Street Giveaway