Beef bo kho

A sexed up stew.

As the cold snap continues it seems only right that I continue with some not so cold snap. See what I did there? Sorry, it’s the chill, it’s getting to me.

While my writing skills may be hibernating, my tastebuds are working just fine, and this easy Vietnamese beef stew makes them dance.

If you haven’t tried it before, beef bo kho is rich, jammy and super intense. It has the strength and tenderness (sounds strangely romantic) of a really good beef stew, but with a whole load of extra flavours that make it wiggle and jiggle (sounds a bit sexy). And while operation post baby body is underway, it’s the only thing that’s sexily wiggling and jiggling around these parts right now, let me tell you.

For the marinade

• 300ml Coke
• 300ml chunky chopped tomatoes/passata
• 500ml beef stock
• A thumb sized piece of ginger, minced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 50ml Shaoxing cooking wine or dry sherry if you don’t have any
• 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice powder
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 cloves

For the stew

• 450g stewing beef, I used straight forward braising beef but you could use shin, feather blade or even brisket (just remember each cut cooks at slightly different times to make it tender, so you’ll need to adjust your cooking times)
• 1 large golden onion, finely
• A thumb sized piece of ginger, minced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 star anise
• 3 cloves
• 2 lemongrass stalks, cut in half lengthways
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 medium peeled carrots, sliced
• Oil for frying
• Juice of half a juicy lime
• Basmati and fine beans to serve

Method

1. In a dry frying pan, gently toast the five spice, cinnamon stick and cloves for a few minutes until you start to be able to smell them. Then grind them in a pestle and mortar. Put them in a mixing bowl with all the other marinade ingredients and mix well, then add the beef, cover and leave in the fridge overnight, or up to 24 hours.
2. When you’re ready to cook the stew, sieve the marinade catching all the liquor, then sort through the sieve contents and remove the meat (essentially sifting out the coarse marinade ingredients like the cinnamon stick).
3. In a frying pan heat some oil and gently fry the onion, garlic and ginger until softened then set aside.
4. Put the collected marinade in a saucepan on a high heat and add the tomatoes and Coke and as it begins to boil, skim the impurities off the top and discard. When you’ve removed all of them, turn the heat down and add the onions and garlic mixture, lemongrass, beef, star anise, cloves, cinnamon stick, stir and cover and cook for around 1hr 45 mins, stirring occasionally to prevent it catching.
5. After 1 hr 30 minutes add the carrots to the pan. 
6. After this time, remove the lid and continue to cook as the sauce reduces but at least half, about another 35 to 45 minutes, creating a really rich and thick sauce around the beef. As it reduces if the beef isn’t quite tender, add a little water to the pan if it’s getting a little dry. When the beef is tender, add the lime juice and serve over rice and with your veg of choice.

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