Mì Bò Kho is a delicious Vietnamese beef noodle stew/soup, my version cooks shin with carrots in a coconut water broth with a little spice.
This is far from a quick dinner; it will take around 3 hours to cook and prepare, but you are rewarded with beautifully tender beef in a wonderful, rich broth.
Vietnamese Beef Noodle Stew
There has definitely been a little bit of an "explosion" of Vietnamese recipes on my website in the last year or so.
Recipes like chicken banh mi, ca ri ga (Vietnamese chicken curry), sticky Vietnamese pork belly, caramel chicken and Vietnamese crispy fried tofu have all made appearances.
My latest offering is called Mì Bò Kho, it's a simple, slow-cooked Vietnamese beef noodle stew/soup, and it is delicious.
At the heart of the dish is beef shin, braised in a broth flavoured with chilli, garlic, ginger, lemongrass and fish sauce.
Beef shin is a wonderful cut of beef for a stew; the tendons in the meat break down under slow cooking, giving the sauce a really silky, smooth and rich texture.
Loads of carrots give the intensely savoury stew a touch of sweetness.
It's then finished with loads of spring onions and egg noodles, creating a wonderful one-pot/one-bowl dinner.
Despite being a stew, it feels light enough to be a meal on a warm summer's day, but plenty hearty enough to fill you up!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to use shin of beef?
No, you could use any fairly fatty stewing beef or steak for this recipe.
Shin of beef works particularly well because the long cooking time breaks down the tendons in the meat and creates a really beautiful, silky sauce.
How spicy is this dish?
It can be as spicy as you like! I use large, fairly mild chilli peppers for flavour, but they only add modest heat.
You could go much bolder if you wish, and you could also omit the chillies; this dish is fantastic "sans spice".
Can I use different noodles?
Yes, the word "Mì" at the start of the name refers to egg noodles. "Phở" refers to wide rice noodles, "Hủ tiếu" refers to vermicelli noodles and omitting the suffix means without noodles.
Knock yourself out!
Can I make this in advance?
Yes, this dish reheats beautifully. I would only add the noodles and spring onions when you are reheating the dish.
If you are making a larger portion for leftovers, divide it before finishing the dish.
It will be fine in the fridge for 2-3 days, and it will freeze for up to 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
Mì Bò Kho is a hearty beef stew, and as you would expect, it does a stonking job of being a fantastic one-pot, one-bowl meal.
It's kinda got everything, veggies, noodles, meat and a stunning meaty broth.
The only thing that I add to this dish on a regular basis is some hunks of French stick as a nod to the French influences in this wonderful Vietnamese dish.
Of course, it also helps to mop up any of that delicious leftover sauce!
Equipment Used
I only name-check specific brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/stovetop.
- 24cm or 10" heavy-based saucepan, with a lid.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
- Chopping board.
- kitchen knife.
- Grater.
- A small mixing bowl.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
Mì Bò Kho Recipe A Vietnamese Beef Noodle Stew
Ingredients
- 350 g Beef Shin 12oz
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 15 g Ginger ½ thumb-sized piece
- 1 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice
- 2 tablespoon Fish Sauce
- 2 Sticks Lemongrass
- 2 Red Chilli Peppers
- 5 Small-Medium Echalion or Banana Shallots 35g Each
- 2 tablespoon Tomato Puree
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Ground Turmeric
- 1 Beef Oxo Cube
- 2 Star Anise
- ⅛ teaspoon MSG
- 250 ml Coconut Water 1 Cup
- 500 ml Water 2 Cups
- 2 tablespoon Cooking Oil
- 2 Medium-Large Carrots 250g Total
- 4 Spring Onions
- 2 Bundles Dried Egg Noodles 125g Total
Instructions
- Trim and "silverskin" from the side of the beef, and then cut it into bite-sized pieces.
- Peel the garlic cloves and mash them to a paste.
- Peel and grate the ginger.
- Add the garlic, ginger, five spice and fish sauce to the beef, mix well and set aside whilst you prepare the rest of the dish.
- Bash the lemongrass sticks with the side of a knife to bruise them.
- Top and tail the shallots, cut them in half and peel them. Then slice them finely from top to bottom.
- Remove the stems from the red chilli peppers and finely dice them.
- Mix the paprika and turmeric in a small bowl.
- Heat a 24cm or 10" heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. When it is hot, add the oil, followed by the bruised lemongrass sticks and star anise. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the sliced shallots and soften for 7-8 minutes.
- Add the tomato puree and cook for 2 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Throw in the marinated beef and chilli, then cook for 10 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Sprinkle the paprika and turmeric, break in the OXO cube and MSG, then pour over the coconut water and water, stir to combine, then add a lid and simmer gently for 1 hour.
- Peel and cut the carrots into 25mm (1") lengths.
- When the stew has cooked for 1 hour, add the carrots, stir, replace the lid and cook for another hour.
- Clean up the spring onions and cut them into 25mm (1") lengths
- Toss in the spring onions and egg noodles, stir and cook until the noodles have softened and are distributed through the dish. Then serve.
