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I didn’t grow up eating beef stew, but to say that I have an obsession with it is putting it mildly. There’s something about beef stew that’s always captured my attention. Even as a kid I always wanted to eat it – beef was never on the dinner table, so I’m not sure if it was the forbiddenness of it or the fact that beef stew smells so darn good.

Anyway, it’s still winter over here, complete with a random snowstorm, and snowy winter weather always puts me in the mood for a slow simmered soup or stew. I was going for warm and cozy and since I don’t have a beef stew recipe from childhood, I decided to steal Mike’s.

Well, to be honest, Mike said that his mom didn’t make beef stew that much growing up, but I really dig Vietnamese beef stew so of course I decided to make bo kho.

If you haven’t had it before, bo kho is essentially a Vietnamese take on beef stew. Bo means beef and kho means braise/stew. The same familiar ingredients found in a regular beef stew are in bo kho: beef, onions, carrots, and potatoes, but the seasoning is where the fun happens. Lemongrass adds a zippy undertone and star anise, fennel and cinnamon add warmth. Most of the time, annatto seeds are used to give bo kho a bright red hue, but I skipped out on that for simplicity’s sake.

I prepped this stew as the snow was falling and a couple of hours and a trip to the store for Vietnamese baguettes later, we sat down to the most comforting meal ever.

The bo kho was beefy, slightly tomato-y, and warm and inviting from spices. Toasted baguettes were essential for scooping up the gravy. The cubes of beef were tender and rich, with a bit of bite and the potatoes did that creamy potato thing that all good potatoes do in a stew. Half-way through, we changed it up a bit by squeezing a lime wedge in for brightness and acidity.

It was so, so good: warm and comforting, humble and familiar. It felt like I was wrapping myself up in my favorite cozy blanket on a cold night. It was so much more than beef stew, it was – as cheesy as it sounds – the taste of home.

PS – After making this, Mike discovered that in Da Nang, which is famous for bo kho, they eat stew for breakfast, with an egg. We tried it the next day with our leftovers and it was HEAVEN.

Bo Kho/Vietnamese Beef Stew
serves 4
prep time: 20 minutes
cook time: 2.5 hours
total time: 3 hours

• 1 lb beef, cubed
• 2 tablespoons flour
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• oil for the pan
• 1 inch piece ginger, sliced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 stalks lemongrass, cut into 4 inch lengths, bruised
• 1 onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1-2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-2 inch pieces
• 4 small potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 4 cups beef stock
• 3 whole star anise
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste
• 1-2 tablespoons fish sauce, or to taste

To serve:

• sliced green onion
• sliced jalapeños
• Thai basil
• cilantro
• lime wedges
• lightly toasted baguettes

Lightly pat the beef cubes dry with a clean paper towel then toss in the flour, coating each cube. Dust off the excess and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

In a heavy bottomed pan with a lid or a dutch oven, heat a generous amount of oil over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, sear the beef cubes on all sides until deeply golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the ginger slices, shallot, garlic, and lemongrass and cook, stirring, until the shallot and garlic are soft, but not brown, about 1-2 minutes. Add in the the onions, carrots, and potatoes. Stir in the tomato paste and beef stock. Add the beef back into the pan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium high heat.

While the stew is coming to a simmer, wrap the star anise, fennel, cloves, bay leaf, and cinnamon stick in cheese cloth or place in a large tea bag for easy removal later. Add it to the stew.

When the stew comes to a boil, turn the heat as low as possible – you want the barest simmer – and cover partway, leaving a bit of the pan uncovered to let out steam. Simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally and adding a touch of water as needed.

After 2 hours test the meat, it should be tender and delicious, but not at all falling apart. Season with fish sauce and sugar to taste. Enjoy!

Optional: Vietnamese beef stew is rarely thickened, but if you like your stew on the slightly thicker side, make a roux from 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of flour. Melt the butter in a small pot over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking until brown and rich. After seasoning the stew, whisk the roux into the stew and bring it to a simmer.

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