While my father’s family is from North Vietnam, he and My grandmother, ah motheroften enjoy southern Vietnamese dishes, such as bò kho (Vietnamese beef stew). Growing up, I especially loved the flavors in Bo Kho, thanks to its beautiful blend of ingredients like star anise, lemongrass and fish sauce. All three work well together to add depth and flavor to the broth. Bo Kho can be served with chilies cooked in broth or with Thai chilies.
You can upgrade virtually any beef stew recipe using the ingredients that make bò kho so flavorful. Making a more Western-style beef stew that was a bit bland or too sweet for my taste (due to the onions and carrots), I added bò kho ingredients to the broth.
Three Ingredients of Better Beef Stew
Star anise Adds aromatic, slightly peppery, and earthy undertones. Fish sauce Amplifies all the umami in the stew, and it already is. My go-to beef stew upgrade. As Lemongrassit brings a sour aroma and herbs. Together, these three ingredients will elevate almost any beef stew to new heights.
How to Give Your Beef Stew the Vietnamese Treatment
To get started, use Your favorite beef stew recipe as a basis. You can add lemongrass, fish sauce, and star fennel in a few ways. One method is to marinate the beef with lemongrass and fish sauce while reserving the star fennel (two to three pods) to add directly to the broth. Finely chop the lemongrass and grind into a paste to marinate the beef (use a mortar and pestle or small food processor). Then, reserve the marinade and add it to the broth as well.
Another method is to cut lemongrass stalks into chunks and add them to the broth along with star anise. Stir in the fish sauce towards the end of cooking, using about a tablespoon to start. Give it a taste before adding more and see how you like it. Before serving the beef stew, you can garnish with lemongrass stalks and star fennel sprigs.
After giving your beef stew a Vietnamese spin, consider serving it with Boiled white rice Instead of bread or mashed potatoes. Finally, for spicy food lovers, don’t forget a dash of Thai chili or Sriracha. As you enjoy it, I hope it brings as much warmth to your dinner table as it has to mine.
Every warm bite of Bo Kho inspired beef stew feels like a warm hug from my late father and Ah Ma. There they are, still sitting on my dining room table, their memories tinged with the flavor of their homeland, Vietnam, in the fragrant steam rising from the beef stew.