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Bò kho
Bò kho: Saigon's lemongrass and star anise beef stew in red annatto broth, for dunking baguette
Bò kho is a southern Vietnamese breakfast: in Saigon street stalls ladle this red, gently spiced beef stew over bánh mì torn for dunking, or over rice noodles, from first light. Chunks of beef shin marinate with lemongrass, ginger, garlic, five-spice and fish sauce, are browned in annatto oil, then simmered in coconut water with star anise and cinnamon until tender, with carrots added near the end. The broth should be glossy and aromatic, not thick. The usual mistake is adding the carrots at the start, so they turn to mush; they go in for the last 25 minutes. Slow-cooker option: brown the beef, then cook everything except the carrots on low for 8 hours, adding the carrots for the last hour. Chef's tip: bruise the lemongrass stalks with the back of a knife so they release oil without falling apart.
- Total time
- 155 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 2 ¼ lb beef shin or brisketin 4 cm chunks
- 2 stalks lemongrassfinely minced
- 1 tbsp fresh gingergrated
- 4 cloves garlicminced
- 1 tsp five-spice powder
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp mild chilli powder
For the stew
- 3 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 tbsp annatto seeds
- 3 shallotschopped
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 2 cups coconut water
- 3 ¼ cups water
- 2 stalks lemongrassbruised and tied in a knot
- 3 carrotscut into chunks
To serve
- 1 handful Thai basil and coriander
- 1 limein wedges
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix the 2 ¼ lb beef shin or brisket with 2 stalks lemongrass, 1 tbsp fresh ginger, 4 cloves garlic, 1 tsp five-spice powder, 3 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp mild chilli powder. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight.
60 minStep 2: Warm the 3 tbsp neutral oil with the 1 tbsp annatto seeds seeds over a low heat for 3 minutes until the oil turns deep red. Strain out and discard the seeds, keeping the oil in the pot.
3 minStep 3: Raise the heat to medium-high and brown the beef in two batches, 4 minutes each, until coloured on all sides. Return it all to the pot.
10 minStep 4: Add the 3 shallots and 2 tbsp tomato purée and stir for 2 minutes. Pour in the 2 cups coconut water and 3 ¼ cups water and add the 2 stalks lemongrass, 3 star anise and 1 cinnamon stick.
3 minStep 5: Bring to the boil, skim, then cover and simmer gently for 1 hour 30 minutes until the beef is almost tender.
90 minStep 6: Add the 3 carrots and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes until both carrots and beef yield easily to a fork. Taste and adjust with fish sauce or sugar.
25 minStep 7: Remove the whole spices and lemongrass knot. Serve in bowls with 2 baguettes or rice noodles for dunking (or over rice noodles), 1 handful Thai basil and coriander and 1 lime.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 52 g
- Carbs
- 44 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bò kho take?
- About 155 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 130 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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