Instant Pot (or not) Vietnamese Beef Stew (Bo Kho)
with baguette
It's the aromatics (ginger, garlic, and lemongrass) and the pinch of ground cinnamon that give this cozy Vietnamese-style stew its rich flavor and aroma.
Cooking methods: This recipe includes instructions for using the Instant Pot or stovetop. Select your preferred method. If selecting the Instant Pot, note that you will seal and let the machine come to pressure two times - once for the longer time needed for the beef and a second time for the quicker-cooking vegetables.
Ingredients
- Green beans - 12 oz , trimmed and chopped
- Carrots - 12 oz , sliced
- Shallots - 2 cloves , diced
- Garlic - 2 cloves , chopped
- Ginger - 2 tsp , grated
- Lemongrass - 2 stalks , smashed
- Soy sauce, low-sodium - 2 Tbsp
- Hoisin sauce - 3 Tbsp
- Fish sauce - 1 Tbsp
- Cinnamon, ground - 1/8 tsp
- Beef, chuck roast - 1 1/2 lbs , cubed
- Potatoes, baby or new - 12 oz , halved; quartered if large
- Oil, cooking - 2 Tbsp
- Stock, low-sodium beef - 4 cups (sub any type of broth)
- Tomato paste - 2 Tbsp
- Cilantro leaves - 1/4 cup
- Baguette - 1 , for serving
Choose Cooking Method
Prep
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Green Beans / Carrots / Shallots / Garlic / Ginger / Lemongrass - Prep as directed. Combine green beans and carrots in one container. Combine shallots, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass in another separate container. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Make seasoning - Combine soy sauce, Hoisin sauce, fish sauce, and ground cinnamon. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Beef - Cube beef. Tenderize with a fork and season with some salt and pepper. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
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Potatoes - Prep as directed.
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Make
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Heat a Dutch oven with the cooking oil over medium heat. Add beef and sear on all sides until golden brown, 10 to 14 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass and saute until the aromatics start to turn tender, 3 to 4 minutes more.
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Slowly pour the stock over the beef, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. (Note: This recipe was written for the Instant Pot, so we recommend adding 50% more liquid to account for evaporation on the stovetop.)
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Bring the stew to a simmer and then reduce the heat to maintain a very low simmer. Cover with a lid and simmer until the beef is very tender, about 70 minutes. (Adjust heat as needed to maintain a low simmer.)
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To the stew, add the seasoning mixture, green beans, carrots, potatoes, and tomato paste. Stir well. Cover and continue cooking until the potatoes and carrots are tender, another 20 minutes.
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Remove and discard the lemongrass stalks.
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Taste the stew and season with some salt and pepper.
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Ladle stew into bowls. Top with cilantro leaves. Serve with crusty baguette on the side. Enjoy!
Prep
-
Green Beans / Carrots / Shallots / Garlic / Ginger / Lemongrass - Prep as directed. Combine green beans and carrots in one container. Combine shallots, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass in another separate container. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
-
Make seasoning - Combine soy sauce, Hoisin sauce, fish sauce, and ground cinnamon. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
-
Beef - Cube beef. Tenderize with a fork and season with some salt and pepper. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
-
Potatoes - Prep as directed.
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Make
-
Using the saute function of an Instant Pot add the cooking oil and then sear beef on all sides until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add shallots, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass and saute until the aromatics start to turn tender, 3 to 4 minutes more.
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Turn off the saute function. Slowly pour the stock over the beef, vigorously scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot (getting all of those browned bits up is the key to avoiding the burn error).
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Close and lock the lid. Set the pressure valve to 'Sealing'. Cook on manual / high pressure for 25 minutes.
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Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and then manually release any remaining pressure.
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Remove the lemongrass stalks from the pot.
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To beef and stock, add the seasoning mixture, green beans, carrots, potatoes, and tomato paste. Stir well to break up any large pieces of tomato paste.
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Close and lock the lid. Set the pressure valve to 'Sealing'. Cook on manual / high pressure for 5 minutes.
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When the cooking time is up, quickly release the pressure.
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Taste the stew and season with some salt and pepper.
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Ladle stew into bowls. Top with cilantro leaves. Serve with crusty baguette on the side. Enjoy!
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