Bo Kho

After returning from a successful trip to Strip District Meats, my husband Dustin and I decided to put our stew beef to good use in a hearty beef stew, using this recipe from Gourmet. But after getting side tracked by making a vegetarian meal and going out to dinner at Nicky's Thai Kitchen (which I will review later), we decided we to attempt an Asian-influenced version of beef stew.  So we made Bo Kho, or Vietnamese beef stew.
I usually don't treat stew recipes as gospel, so I wouldn't worry if the proportions of ingredients are a bit fudged. But I did worry when I noticed we didn't have any lemongrass in the apartment as we set out to prepare the stew. Some Googling revealed that there isn't really a suitable replacement for the strong flavor--it wasn't to be omitted!  But luckily Dustin remembered that lemongrass was included in a freezer package of Trader Joe's Tom Yum soup.  So all was good in the land of stew-making.

Here is the recipe, adapted from Food.com:

Bo Kho

Bo Kho

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs boneless beef chuck, cut into 1.5 inch cubes

1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 2 inch pieces and bruised
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Chinese five spice powder
1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons minced ginger
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 small yellow onions, chopped 

1 14 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
2 star anise
3 cups water 

1 package rice stick noodles (optional accompaniment, prepare as directed on package)

French bread (optional for accompaniment)

Spring onions or cilantro (optional for garnish)

Directions:

1. Mix lemongrass, fish sauce, 5-spice powder, ginger, brown sugar and bay leaf, marinate the beef for at least 30 minutes.
2. Over high heat, heat oil in a dutch over or large heavy-bottomed pot, sear the beef quickly then remove, reserve lemongrass and bay leaf for later use. 
3. Reduce heat to medium, cook onions till translucent, then add tomatoes and cook with lid on for another 12-15 minutes. If sauce is too thick, add a bit of water. 
4. Add the seared beef, lemongrass, bay leaf and star anise, and cook uncovered for 5 minutes then add water. 
5. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes. 
6. Add carrots and simmer for another hour or so, until beef and carrots are tender. 
7. Remove bay leaf, lemongrass and star anise before serving with french bread and/or rice stick noodles

Some notes:

This stew is not thick like traditional American stews. It's more like a soup. Also, be patient, it's worth the wait! We made this when we were hungry. Not a good idea. The longer you cook the stew, the better. And the more fatty the meat, the more flavorful and easier it will be to chew. This stew was even better the next day!

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