Vietnamese Beef Stew With Star Anise And Lemon Grass Bò Kho Food

BO KHO (VIETNAMESE BRAISED BEEF STEW)

Steps:

• Make the marinade: Stir together fish sauce, sugar, ginger, 5-spice powder and pepper.
• Put beef in a large bowl, add marinade and massage into meat. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes, or longer if time permits (may be wrapped and refrigerated overnight if desired).
• Put oil in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, fry the beef cubes in small batches, taking care not to crowd them, until nicely browned. When all beef is browned, return chunks to pot. Add shallots, stir to combine and continue cooking for 4 to 5 minutes, or until softened.
• Add tomato, ginger, garlic, lemongrass, salt and annatto, if using, and stir well to coat, then add star anise, cinnamon and chile. Cover with 4 cups water and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to a simmer, cover with lid ajar and cook for about 1 hour 15 minutes, or until fork-tender.
• Add carrots to pot and cook 15 minutes more. Skim fat from surface of broth as necessary (or refrigerate overnight and remove congealed fat before reheating).
• To serve, ladle into individual bowls. Garnish with scallions, cilantro, mint and basil.

VIETNAMESE BEEF STEW (BO' KHO)

Steps:

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

SPICY BEEF STEW (BO KHO)

Steps:

• Heat half of the oil with annatto seeds and stir quickly until the oil takes on the redish-brown color of the seeds.
• Set aside, strain and remove the seeds.
• Marinate the beef cubes with onion, half the garlic, salt, sugar and half of the annatto seed oil mixture for 45 minutes.
• Heat the remaining annatto seed oil and cook the remaining garlic until soft.
• Add curry powder, beer and marinade and it`s ingredients.
• Braise the beef, adding a little water, lemongrass, star anise and cinnamon.
• Cook at 350 degree in oven for 1 hour then and add carrots.
• Cook for 1 more hour.
• Simmer 5 more minutes.
• Garnish and serve over white rice is how I served it. The juices got absorbed into the rice.