Vietnamese Bo Kho

We had some diced beef that needed cooking and so instead of doing a bog-standard casserole or curry, I wanted to try something different. After scouring the Internet and checking out various cooking videos, I chose Bo Kho. This was partly because I had most of the ingredients and also because it seemed like a hearty recipe for cold evenings. My husband and  I absolutely loved the result and the stew pairs nicely with French bread or rice. Here is the recipe.

 

Ingredients:
500 g Diced beef
small cup of chopped shallots
1 onion
2 carrots, small chunks
1 cup chopped Tomato
3 tbsp fish sauce, Nuoc Mam
2 star anise
crushed garlic, 3 cloves
3 tbsp fresh ginger paste
2 tbsp lemongrass paste/2 stalks of lemongrass
1 tsp chilli powder
1.5 tsp Chinese 5 spice
2 tsp muscovado sugar
1 cup beef stock
2 bay leaves
Thai basil (optional)
1 tsp salt

Method:
Marinate the beef in a paste made of the fish sauce,muscovado sugar, lemongrass paste, ginger and Chinese 5 spice. In a casserole fry the shallots and onion lightly and the add the marinated beef. Cook for about 15 mins until a gravy is formed from the juices. Add garlic and chilli powder and cook for another 5 mins. Add the tomatoes and carrots, cover the casserole and let it cook for about 10 mins. Now add stock and cook till meat is tender. Usually takes about 45 mins. Enjoy!