Bo Kho (Vietnamese Braised Beef Stew)

By David Tanis

Updated November 16, 2020

  • David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.
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Total Time
1½ hours
Rating
4(2,076)
Comments
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Bo kho is a delicious Vietnamese pot-roasted beef stew, fragrant with lemongrass, star anise and cinnamon. When the meat is fork tender, carrots are added to complete the dish. If you wish, include turnips or daikon radish or potatoes. Serve it with rice, rice noodles or a freshly baked baguette.

Featured in: A Wintry Braise Inspired by a Warmer Place: Vietnam

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

FOR THE MARINADE

  • 2 tablespoons Vietnamese fish sauce, such as Red Boat

  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar

  • 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

  • 2 teaspoons Chinese 5-spice powder

  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

FOR THE BRAISE

  • 3 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 6 large shallots or 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

  • 1 cup chopped tomato, fresh or canned

  • 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger (from a 2-inch piece)

  • 3 garlic cloves, minced

  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped lemongrass, tender center only

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • ½ teaspoon annatto powder (optional)

  • 4 star anise pods

  • 1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick, or substitute cassia bark

  • 1 or 2 Serrano or Thai chiles, stem on, split lengthwise

  • 1 ½ pounds medium carrots, peeled, cut into 2-inch chunks

  • ½ cup thinly sliced scallions

  • 1 cup cilantro sprigs, for garnish

  • ½ cup mint leaves, for garnish

  • ½ cup small basil leaves, preferably Thai, for garnish

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

30 grams carbs; 143 milligrams cholesterol; 465 calories; 9 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 16 grams fat; 1 gram trans fat; 7 grams fiber; 1056 milligrams sodium; 53 grams protein; 13 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the marinade: Stir together fish sauce, sugar, ginger, 5-spice powder and pepper.

  2. Step 2

    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).

  3. Step 3

    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.

  4. Step 4

    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.

  5. Step 5

    Reduce heat to a simmer, cover with lid ajar and cook for about 1 hour 15 minutes, or until fork-tender.

  6. Step 6

    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).

  7. Step 7

    To serve, ladle into individual bowls. Garnish with scallions, cilantro, mint and basil.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
2,076 user ratings
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Comments

Chuck

This was very delicious. Thank you David for the recipe. My feedback would be: 1) Instead of mincing the lemongrass, just cut stalks into long pieces, smash with the back of a knife. 2) Place the lemongrass, star anise, cinnamon stick, and split pepper in a piece of tied cheesecloth, making it simple to extract when finished. 3) Forget rice, potatoes, etc. and go with the suggested crusty baguette!

Eric Leif Peters

I made this last night in my Instant Pot. I added another serrano (unnecessary), just two star anise pods, used lemongrass paste from a tube, and the whole can of tomatoes. The store was out of shallots, so I used red onion as suggested (faster and cheaper). Cooked it on the “Meat/Stew” setting (45 minutes, 15-minute release). Following a reader’s suggestion, I added bok choy at the end (will use more next time and maybe bamboo shoots and/or water chestnuts and/or Asian mushrooms?). Delicious!

Mike DePolo

I thought the dish needed a bit more punch and a bit more liquid for all the beef and carrots, so I reduced eight cups of beef stock to six (in lieu of the four cups of water). I also added about an eighth-cup of soy sauce. It was freakin' delicious! Will absolute save this one for another go-'round.

Donna

Followed recipe except used beef broth instead of water. Smashed lemongrass and put that along with star anise and cinnamon stick in a spice ball. I couldn’t find Thai basil so used one cube of Thai basil pesto that I made and froze using my home grown Thai basil which I added to the Dutch oven. After all ingredients were added I finished up in the oven at 325 for 2-3 hours. PERFECTION!!

Brett

Amazing. Great quick recipe. Have made multiple times. 5 stars, no subs.

Paul

We luved it and will make it again. I followed the recipe for the ingredients but changed how to cook it. Fundamentally this is a Vietnamese Boeuf Bourguignon so I took it off the stove top and put the Dutch Oven into the oven at 300 for a few hours. I took the cover off for about the last hour at 250. You know what to do. Thank you.

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