Bo Kho (Vietnamese Lemongrass Beef Stew with Carrots)

• 1.35 kg beef shank (bắp bò), cut into 3 cm cubes
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 50 g shallots, minced
• 1 lemongrass stalk, finely minced
• 2 lemongrass stalks, bruised and cut in lengths
• 7 g fresh ginger, chopped
• 1 heaped tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• Salt: 1½ tbsp + ½ tbsp + ½ tsp seasoning powder (hạt nêm), divided
• Sugar: 1 heaped tbsp + ½ tbsp + ½ tsp sugar, divided
• 1 tsp paprika
• ¼ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp fried-shallot oil (or plain oil), for the marinade
• 3 tbsp oil, for the annatto oil
• 1 heaped tbsp annatto seeds (strained out of the oil)
• 2 tbsp oil, for frying
• 200 g tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• Cinnamon: a cinnamon stick and star anise (removed before serving)
• 3 carrots (300 g), cut 1 cm thick
• 1 litre fresh coconut water
• 1 small onion (100 g), cut in wedges, a little thinly shaved for the top
• 2 tbsp cornflour or tapioca starch
• 6 tbsp water, for the slurry
• Thai basil (húng quế), to serve
• sawtooth coriander (ngò gai), to serve
• sliced chilli, to serve
• lime wedges, to serve

Method

The cook speaks Vietnamese; every step is written here in English. Tap a time to watch that step in the video. For subtitles, tap CC in the video, then Settings › Subtitles › Auto-translate › English.

1. Cut the beef shank into 3 cm cubes. Mince the garlic, shallots and one lemongrass stalk very finely and add to the beef. 0:48
2. Add the five-spice, 1½ tbsp seasoning powder, 1 heaped tbsp sugar, paprika, turmeric, soy sauce and shallot oil; mix and marinate 30–60 minutes. Meanwhile chop the ginger, cut the other lemongrass, the onion, tomatoes and carrots. 1:33
3. Make annatto oil: warm 3 tbsp oil with the annatto seeds over medium-low heat until deep red, then strain out the seeds. 3:52
4. Cook the tomatoes with ½ tbsp annatto oil, ½ tsp sugar and ½ tsp seasoning over low heat until soft. 4:19
5. Fry the lemongrass, ginger, garlic and shallot in 2 tbsp oil in a pressure cooker until golden, then sear the beef on high heat about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cinnamon and star anise; pressure-cook 10 minutes with no water (or simmer covered until tender). 5:37
6. Meanwhile stir-fry the carrots with ½ tsp annatto oil, ½ tbsp seasoning and ½ tbsp sugar over low heat for 3 minutes, set aside, and rinse the pan with the coconut water. 7:27
7. Let the pressure drop, open the pot and lift out the cinnamon. Pour in the coconut water and add the carrots, cover with an ordinary lid and simmer about 5 minutes until the carrots and beef are tender. 8:21
8. Mix the cornflour with 6 tbsp water. Add the onion wedges, then stir in the slurry until lightly thickened; turn off the heat and stir in the remaining annatto oil. Serve topped with shaved onion, Thai basil, sawtooth coriander, chilli and lime. 9:38

Tip. Serves 8 (our estimate from 1.35 kg beef). No pressure cooker? Simmer the beef covered until tender. In Vietnam it is eaten with a baguette, noodles or rice; a green salad keeps it lower in carbs.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.