Bò Kho — Vietnamese Beef Stew

Ingredients

• 2 lb Steak, in big cubes
• 3 Carrot, in thick chunks
• 2 lemongrass stalks, bruised + 3 star anise + 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 tbsp fish sauce + 2 tbsp tomato paste + 1 tbsp soy
• 1 onion + 4 cloves garlic + 1 tbsp ginger
• 4 cups stock
• Baguette or rice noodles, Thai basil, lime

Method

1. Sear the beef in batches; soften the onion, garlic, and ginger, then fry the tomato paste 2 minutes.
2. Return the beef with the fish sauce, soy, lemongrass, star anise, cinnamon, and stock.
3. Simmer covered on LOW 90 minutes; add the Carrot for the final 30, until the beef yields and the broth turns aromatic amber-red.
4. Fish out the woody aromatics — they've done their haunting.
5. Serve with torn baguette for dunking (the French-colonial fusion Vietnam perfected) or over rice noodles, basil and lime over everything. Phở's heartier cousin who shows up in winter.