recipes
Bò Kho
( Vietnamese Beef Stew with Noodles )
Lately, I’ve been solely consuming vietnamese food, and my inner flame feels reignited. Most of my cooking stems from various travels eats and asian fare, but a longtime dream of mine has been to pause, and reimmerse myself into traditional vietnamese cooking. I’m thrilled to report that I’ve been taking the precious time to do so, and I’m learning from the best cook I know: my mother Kim! She is a fiercely simple cook, never skipping the small steps and always finding the time to peel fresh garlic, because it will forever be worth it to her (and she’s right). Kim is an infinite library of recipes, with not a single one written down. I’m so grateful to learn, record her culinary artistry, and to get to know my mother again through the process. This has been such healing and satisfying work, and so to kick things off we’re starting with a truly slept on favorite: Bò Kho
So what is it? Bò Kho is our take on classic beef stew. A Vietnamese staple that’s rarely found in restaurants, and ideal for cold nights with dear ones. Juicy tender beef relaxes in a simple yet savory rich broth consisting of carrots, and golden potatoes. Lemongrass and aromatics fill the air as it warms your home, while invigorating yours senses. Truthfully, the best Bò Kho is only the one made at home. This dish delivers a type of comfort only a mother can bring, and I’m so excited to share it with all of you.
Traditionally, Mama Kim would be accompany Bò Kho with lightly toasted french bread (bánh mì) from the market, but today I wanted to try taiwanese noodles. When living in Austin, I fondly recall visiting Xian Noodle with Aliza to share the spicy beef noodle soup and some dumplings. Oftentimes, we discussed how critically the noodle shape affected the overal soup/dish experience, and we loved their thick handpulled triangle noodles. This recipe isnt anything of the sorts, but I believe these taiwanese noodles and are a perfect match with Bò Kho’s rich and mighty broth ( better than fresh pho noodles which absorb the broth, making it mushy!) I hope you enjoy this dish and share it with loved ones this holiday season ︎
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Traditionally, Mama Kim would be accompany Bò Kho with lightly toasted french bread (bánh mì) from the market, but today I wanted to try taiwanese noodles. When living in Austin, I fondly recall visiting Xian Noodle with Aliza to share the spicy beef noodle soup and some dumplings. Oftentimes, we discussed how critically the noodle shape affected the overal soup/dish experience, and we loved their thick handpulled triangle noodles. This recipe isnt anything of the sorts, but I believe these taiwanese noodles and are a perfect match with Bò Kho’s rich and mighty broth ( better than fresh pho noodles which absorb the broth, making it mushy!) I hope you enjoy this dish and share it with loved ones this holiday season ︎
INGREDIENTS
serves 6-8
stew base
2 lbs beef shank or chuck roast steaks
2 white onions, roughly sliced
1 shallot, roughly sliced
2 ginger knobs, roughly sliced
10 small gold potatoes
4 large carrots
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 bay leaves
1 Bò Kho seasoning*
2-3 sticks lemongrass opt*
4 cups quality chicken broth/ beef broth
your choice of noodles or toasted french bread
fresh herbs
chives
thai basil
red onion
lemon
dipping sauce
lemon juice
salt
pepper
serves 6-8
stew base
2 lbs beef shank or chuck roast steaks
2 white onions, roughly sliced
1 shallot, roughly sliced
2 ginger knobs, roughly sliced
10 small gold potatoes
4 large carrots
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 bay leaves
1 Bò Kho seasoning*
2-3 sticks lemongrass opt*
4 cups quality chicken broth/ beef broth
your choice of noodles or toasted french bread
fresh herbs
chives
thai basil
red onion
lemon
dipping sauce
lemon juice
salt
pepper
*bò kho stew base can be found at most local asian superrmarkets in texas
DIRECTIONS
prep
The night before:
Thoroughly wash the beef, rubbing it with salt, and then rinsing again. pat dry and chop into cubes. in a large bow, season with a little salt, some cooking oil, and about 1/3 of the bò kho seasoning. toss until evenly covered and marinate in the fridge overnight.
Wash and peel the potatos, carrots, and ginger. cube the potatoes and slice the carrots your way. I prefer thick chunks, about 1/2 inch. Slice the ginger roughly into chunks. set aside.
cook
The next day, take out your marinated meat and set aside. In a large pot, on high, add in cooking oil, minced garlic, shallots, and onions. let cook down and get aromatic (a few mins), then add the beef. Make sure that the heat is high, you should hear the meat sizzle as it cooks down. stir occasionally. about 10 mins or untill evenly seared on each side.
Add a little water to deglaze the pot, stirringg gently, getting all the good bits at the bottom and then transfer everything into a pressure cooker.
(If you do not have a pressure cooker, a large pot works fine, but will take a bit longer)
Add water to about halfway, sometimes my mom uses coconut water instead (about 3 cups). Add bay leaves, lemon grass, roughly sliced ginger. Pressure cook for 10 minutes, then let naturally depressurize, or 45 minutes on a stovetop, covered on medium high heat.
prep
The night before:
Thoroughly wash the beef, rubbing it with salt, and then rinsing again. pat dry and chop into cubes. in a large bow, season with a little salt, some cooking oil, and about 1/3 of the bò kho seasoning. toss until evenly covered and marinate in the fridge overnight.
Wash and peel the potatos, carrots, and ginger. cube the potatoes and slice the carrots your way. I prefer thick chunks, about 1/2 inch. Slice the ginger roughly into chunks. set aside.
cook
The next day, take out your marinated meat and set aside. In a large pot, on high, add in cooking oil, minced garlic, shallots, and onions. let cook down and get aromatic (a few mins), then add the beef. Make sure that the heat is high, you should hear the meat sizzle as it cooks down. stir occasionally. about 10 mins or untill evenly seared on each side.
Add a little water to deglaze the pot, stirringg gently, getting all the good bits at the bottom and then transfer everything into a pressure cooker.
(If you do not have a pressure cooker, a large pot works fine, but will take a bit longer)
Add water to about halfway, sometimes my mom uses coconut water instead (about 3 cups). Add bay leaves, lemon grass, roughly sliced ginger. Pressure cook for 10 minutes, then let naturally depressurize, or 45 minutes on a stovetop, covered on medium high heat.
After the pressure cooker is done, open the lid and skim the fat off the top if needed. Remove the bay leaves, lemongrass sticks, and ginger. Then add in the carrots, potatoes, chicken/beef broth, and 1/3 of the bò kho seasoning, stiring slowly.
simmer
Add additional broth/water if you feel like your stew has cooked down a bit too much, and taste to see if you need more salt, seasoning or a splash of fish sauce!
Set your cooker on saute and simmer for about 30 minutes untill the vegetables are tender and the stew thickens up.
*optional: In a small bowl, mix together a 2 tablespoons cornstarch and water to make a slurry and stir into the stew.
Prepare the herbs by washing the chives and basil, drying, and then setting aside.
After the stew has simmered, the base should be semi thick, like a hearty soup. adjust the base accordingly with more broth, if needed. or let cook down a bit more and youre done!
serve
In a bowl, add noodles, thinly sliced red onion, tiny bit of black pepper. Ladle stew directly onto noodles. garnish with chopped chives, thai basil, and you must not forget the lemon squeeze on top, it’s crucial!
dipping sauce
your not so crucial, but still a must have at a vietnemese dinner- lemon pepper dipping sauce. In a small bow, squeeze half of a lemon, add salt and black pepper, mix to your liking.
simmer
Add additional broth/water if you feel like your stew has cooked down a bit too much, and taste to see if you need more salt, seasoning or a splash of fish sauce!
Set your cooker on saute and simmer for about 30 minutes untill the vegetables are tender and the stew thickens up.
*optional: In a small bowl, mix together a 2 tablespoons cornstarch and water to make a slurry and stir into the stew.
Prepare the herbs by washing the chives and basil, drying, and then setting aside.
After the stew has simmered, the base should be semi thick, like a hearty soup. adjust the base accordingly with more broth, if needed. or let cook down a bit more and youre done!
serve
In a bowl, add noodles, thinly sliced red onion, tiny bit of black pepper. Ladle stew directly onto noodles. garnish with chopped chives, thai basil, and you must not forget the lemon squeeze on top, it’s crucial!
dipping sauce
your not so crucial, but still a must have at a vietnemese dinner- lemon pepper dipping sauce. In a small bow, squeeze half of a lemon, add salt and black pepper, mix to your liking.
start with fresh taiwanese noodles
Totally optional, but I enjoyed the thinly sliced red onions
Garnish with chives, thai basil and fresh squeeze of lemon!
get your greens,
kale
kale