Vietnamese Beef Stew / Bo Kho
Rooted in Vietnam’s culinary traditions, bò kho has humble beginnings as a peasant dish. It was initially created as a way to make tougher cuts of beef tender and flavorful through slow stewing; the dish gained its signature flavor from the abundant spices and herbs available in Vietnam. Whether enjoyed with a crusty baguette, a
- Prep time
- 1 hr 30 min
- Cook time
- 2 hr
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 4 lbs Beef Shank
- 2 lbs Beef Tendon
- 6 Vietnamese Baguettes
- 6 -8 Large Carrots
- 2 tbsp Bo Kho Seasoning
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 tbsp Annatto Seed Oil
- 1 tsp Salt
- 3 -4quarts Water
- 2 tbsp Annatto Seed Oil
- 1 Small Minced Shallot
- 2 tbsp Minced Garlic
- 2 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 12 oz Coco Rico
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 tbsp MSG
- 1 inch nub Rock Sugar
- 2 tbsp Bo Kho Seasoning
- 3 tbsp Fish Sauce
- Corn Starch Slurry (Optional)
- 3 Stalks Lemongrass
- 1/2 Onion
- 2 inch Nub Ginger
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 2 Star Anise
- 3 Bay Leaves
- White Onion
- Thai Basil
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- Lime Juice
Instructions
- 1
Beef Shank:
- 2
Parboil beef shank in boiling water for 5-10 minutes to reduce odor and remove impurities. Drain and rinse with cold tap water. Cut into 1" pieces
- 3
Add cut beef shank and marinade with bo kho seasoning, soy sauce, annatto seed oil, and salt in a mixing bowl. Marinate in the fridge covered for a minimum of one hour, but overnight for the best effect
- 4
Beef Tendon:
- 5
Parboil beef tendon in a pot of boiling water for 5-10 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. Add the cleaned tendon back to a pot of boiling water with salt and precook the tendon for 60 minutes. Tendon takes longer to cook than the beef shank, so we'll precook the tendon before adding it to the beef stew. Remove the tendon from the pot, let it cool down, and then cut 1/2-3/4" inch pieces. Tendon will expand when it cooks, so we want to cut these a little bit smaller than the cuts of beef shank
- 6
Stew:
- 7
In a big pot, add annatto seed oil, and sauté minced shallots and garlic until fragrant
- 8
Add tomato paste, and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add marinated beef shank and cut tendon to the pot. Add in a whole can of Coco Rico, and then 4-5 quarts of water
- 9
Bring that up to a boil and skim off the impurities, and then lower the heat and simmer covered
- 10
Aromatics:
- 11
Char half an onion, ginger slices, cinnamon stick, and star anise in a dry pan
- 12
Cut stalks of lemongrass in half, remove the woodsy outer layer, and using the blunt end of your knife or cleaver, bruise the lemongrass
- 13
Add charred onion, ginger, cinnamon, star anise, lemongrass, and bay leaves to a spice bag/sachet. Then, add bag of aromatics to the pot
- 14
Seasoning and Final Touches:
- 15
Once you've put the aromatics into the pot, add soy sauce, rock sugar, MSG, and more bo kho seasoning. Let this simmer on low for 60-90 minutes or until the beef shank is mostly tender
- 16
Add in peeled and cut carrots, and simmer for another 10-15 minutes, or until the carrots reaches your desired doneness
- 17
At the end, season with fish sauce and adjust any other seasonings to taste
- 18
Serve:
- 19
Ladle bo kho into a bowl. Garnish with white onions and Thai basil. Serve with crusty Vietnamese baguette and dipping sauce