One Pot Vietnamese Beef Stew
This flavorful beef stew may be more well known to you as Bo Kho, the Vietnamese name of the dish. Vietnamese beef stew is thinner than a standard American stew, but these one-pot meals have one thing in common - they are a classic comfort food that people turn to when it's cold and dark out, or you're hankering for a pot of home-cooked nostalgia.
Serve this stew with a good, crusty bread or with rice if you want an extra filling meal. It's great on the day you make it but if you can, let it sit overnight so the flavors mingle. Freeze leftovers to fend off cold, dreary nights in the future.
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds beef stew chunks
- 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper Medium Grind
- 2 Tablespoons lemongrass paste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons California Roasted Minced Garlic
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Coconut Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 Tablespoons Dried Shallots
- 2 fresh green chiles
- 1 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice Powder
- 4 large tomatoes, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 carrots, sliced thin
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 2 Star Anise Pods
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Makrut Lime Leaves
- 2 1/2 cups beef stock
- 1 pound butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- Cilantro to garnish
Instructions:
- Combine beef, flour, Black Pepper Medium Grind, lemongrass paste, California Roasted Minced Garlic, soy sauce, and Coconut Sugar in a bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for an hour.
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Heat up the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add seasoned beef chunks and brown on all sides.
- Add the Dried Shallots and chiles and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the Chinese Five Spice Powder, tomatoes, tomato paste, carrots, Cinnamon Stick, Star Anise, Ground Makrut Lime L, and beef stock and bring to a simmer.
- Put lid on Dutch oven and place in oven. Cook for 1 hour.
- Remove the pot from the oven and add the butternut squash. Be careful, the lid and Dutch oven will be hot!
- Place back in oven and cook for another hour. Meat should be very tender and almost falling apart.
- Remove from oven, garnish, and serve.
