NGANSTOP

FANCY BO KHO

Posted on by NganStop

I grew up eating bo kho more than I ate pho, but if you’re new to Vietnamese cuisine, you probably don’t hear of it often. It is a flavorful, tender beef stew with carrots paired with a French baguette. Although my mom doesn’t eat beef, she always made it for my family and if that didn’t scream love; I don’t know what does.

When I met Jon-Michael, he told me that his favorite Vietnamese dish was bo kho. He told me stories about how he rode his moped for miles to a little alley where this old man sold the best bo kho in Saigon. He would order take away and the hot soup would be wrapped in a plastic bag hanging on the side of the handle bar of the moped, burning the side of his leg as he drove home. But all was worth it for this magical soup – rain, shine, or hungover.

Every time JM visits my family in NorCal, my mom would make bo kho because she knew that he loved it. In return, he always made sure to eat at least two full bowls to show his love. If you know anything about Vietnamese mothers, their love language is food. I’m pretty sure that’s where I’ve adopted it from. One particularly rough week, to show JM some love – I decided to make bo kho for my favorite roomie. I used the Instant Pot to get the quickest and most tender results, but this recipe can definitely be done on stove top as well! JM loved the bo kho I made and gave it a 9.6 rating – coming from the toughest bo kho critic, I think that’s a win! If you got someone you want to show love and appreciation to, this would be the perfect recipe for you!

Bo Kho with Oxtail

I N G R E D I E N T S :

  • 2-2.5 lb Beef Shank
  • 2 Oxtail 
  • 4-5 Carrots
  • 2 Stalks of Lemongrass
  • 1 Large White Onion, divided
  • 6 Garlic Cloves, minced
  • 4-5 Tbsp of Ga Vi Bo Kho (Kim Tu Tap – Pyramide brand)
  • 1.5 Tbsp Tomato Paste
  • 6 Tbsp Fish Sauce, divided
  • 1 Can Coco Rico
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 6 Dried Shiitake Mushrooms
  • 1 Tbsp Monk Fruit Sweetener 
  • 1 Beef Bullion Cube
  • 1 Cup Chicken Broth
  • Water – fill up IP till meat is covered
  • 3 Tbsp Oil Annato Seeds + Oil

T O O L S:

  • Instant Pot (not necessary, see nganstoptips)

I N S T R U C T I O N S :

  1. Parboil the beef shank in a pot of water for 10 minutes to make slicing easier 
  2. Slice up the parboiled beef shank a cut it up into pieces. Add to a bowl with the oxtail and add 2 tbsp of the Bo Kho seasoning. Add an extra tbsp if needed to cover all of the meat in seasoning. 
  3. Slice up half the white onion and add to the bowl of beef.
  4. Add 3 tbsp of fish sauce and then massage the seasoning into the meat and mix until everything combined. 
  5. Cover and marinate meat in fridge for 1 hour – overnight. (I marinated from 1pm-5pm)
  6. Cut up carrots to roughly 1.5-2 inches long. Add one cup of water into the inner pot, then add carrots to a steamer basket and cook on High Pressure for 3 minutes, Natural Release for 3 minutes, then quick release. Set aside. Dump out the water, rinse and put inner pot back into the IP.
  7. Put your shiitake mushrooms in a cup of water and let it rehydrate.
  8. Mince your garlic and slice the remaining half of your onion. Use the bottom half of the lemongrass stalk and cut into 3, 1-inch long stalks. Take the back of your knife and beat on the lemongrass to bruise it up. 
  9. Add oil to pot and turn on the saute setting. Add garlic, lemongrass, bay leaf and onions – stirring until fragrant. Add in the remainder 2 tbsp of Bo Kho Ga Vi seasoning and mix until onions wilt.
  10. Add the marinated beef, oxtail and onions into the pot and cook until all onions have wilted and have become caramelized. Move the meat and onions to the side to add the tomato paste to the bottom of the pan. Let tomato paste cook for 2 minutes and then stir everything to combine tomato paste with meat. 
  11. Add the remaining 3 tbsp of fish sauce, and stir pots’ ingredients to combine again. 
  12. Pour in the can of Coco Rico, chicken broth and then fill the pot with water so that all the meat is submerged.
  13. Squeeze out excess water in the mushrooms, and add in the pot along with the cube of beef bullion.
  14. Cook on High Pressure for 22 minutes, allow it to naturally release for 20 minutes, then quick release. Stir in the cooked carrots and add salt/pepper as you see fit. (I did not need additional seasoning).
  15. To make the annato seed oil, add oil and annato seeds together in a small bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Add the oil to the stew based on your preference.
  16. Garnish with cilantro and thinly sliced onions.

#Nganstoptips:

  • Traditionally bo kho is made with tendon as well – however JM isn’t a fan so I omitted it from the recipe. Tendon does take longer to cook, so you can follow the recipe omitting the meat at first and cooking the tendon on high pressure for 5 minutes. Then adding the meat in and cooking it for the remaining 22 mins.
  • This can be done on the stovetop as well, simply do all the same steps, except instead of cooking it on high pressure – you let the soup simmer for 1.5 hours until the beef is tender.
  • Instead of baguettes, this stew can be eaten with rice or noodles as well. To eliminate the carb, JM and I actually just ate it as a stew and it was still delicious!
  • TSA Approved?: Not all good things can be shared abroad. This beef stew is mainly soup and TSA will have none of that. Don’t bother taking it with you – but if you want to stop by my house I’d gladly make it for you to enjoy.

65 thoughts on “FANCY BO KHO”

  2. I have read so many content regarding the blogger lovers except this paragraph is genuinely a good piece of writing, keep it up. Maritsa Bartholemy Hoskinson

  9. Curabitur vulputate, ligula lacinia scelerisque tempor, lacus lacus ornare ante, ac egestas est urna sit amet arcu. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos hi Audrey Sullivan Lalla

  10. An interesting discussion is worth comment. I believe that you ought to publish more about this subject, it might not be a taboo subject but usually people do not speak about these subjects. To the next! All the best! Christan Bernard Allveta

  11. Good day! I know this is somewhat off topic but I was wondering if you knew where I could locate a captcha plugin for my comment form? Maude Jeremie Benita

  12. You could certainly see your enthusiasm within the article you write. The arena hopes for even more passionate writers like you who are not afraid to say how they believe. Always go after your heart.| Moyna Chet Burnie

  15. you can buy some promise rings from ebay but those are the cheap ones, the quality ones are sold elswhere.. Marthe Bartlet Shirline

  17. I think this is among the most vital info for me. And i am glad reading your article. But want to remark on some general things, The web site style is wonderful, the articles is really nice : D. Good job, cheers Jillene Powell Waers

  18. sharing is caring as they say! This pandemic has added a whole load of things we take for granted that we should be grateful for every day Bonny Erwin Hirst

  21. Howdy! I simply wish to give a huge thumbs up for the good info you may have right here on this post. I will be coming again to your blog for more soon.

  42. Multiple teachers share a variety of styles and approaches including our own Vikasa Yoga Method. Our rooms are modest but comfortable. Try an eco-friendly bungalow or live it up with a king size bed and a sea view. Healthy dinner is served after the afternoon and evening yoga classes and is mostly vegetarian, with one fish or seafood option daily. Vikasa Koh Samui features three open air yoga pavilions with hard wood floors and an open, breathtaking view of the sea. Practice yoga to the soothing sounds of the ocean and our many natural (friendly!) visitors, breathing air that is always fresh and energized. We are proud to have some of the best yoga practice spaces in Southeast Asia. https://vikasayoga.com/ Koh Samui is an ideal place for exploring yoga due to the outstanding natural beauty of the island. Most of Koh Samui is still considered unspoiled and unpolluted. Time on Koh Samui is an opportunity to relax, unwind, explore and focus on yourself. Enjoy the natural energy of palm trees, white sand, purple sunsets, turquoise waters, dense jungle, and exotic waterfalls. Despite being so easily accessible, Samui remains an idyllic island in the sun. Private yoga classes are a great way to receive attentive instruction and hands-on adjustments to your postures. Enjoy the convenience of private instruction according to your schedule and location. Vikasa teachers offer private yoga classes and you can also ask our guest teachers for lessons.

Comments are closed.