For centuries, stews have been one of the most cooked meals in the history of humankind. Apart from a bowl of warm soup, stews were generally made during winter time to get some warmth. Nowadays, stews have become so common that all cuisines have its signature stew.
For instance, Korean is famous for its varieties in stews. There are kimchi stew, Sundobu – soft tofu stew; Chinese cuisines are famous for different stews as well. Guess which cuisine has delicious warm stew too?
This dish is known as Bò Kho in Vietnamese. Bò means cow and Kho means to simmer or stew in Vietnamese. This dish is known as the traditional beef stew with baguette.
What is Traditional Beef Stew with Baguette?
This dish is palatable in various ways. The standard and preferred style are in a noodle soup or with white rice while a fresh baguette can also complement this dish. The broth of this dish contains a multitude of flavours from lemongrass, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper and various other herbs.
Which Beef Cut to Use?
When it comes to beef stew, many of us might wonder which is the best cut to use for Bo Kho. In this unique dish, you can use whichever cut you prefer! Even so, most Vietnamese would prefer to use beef shank or oxtail. Have you tried oxtail soup before? If you have, then you would understand why.
Oxtail gives out the perfumed aroma, especially when simmered for long hours. One does not have to add too many ingredients to bring out the flavour as the oxtail itself enhances the soup base. If you prefer something meatier, you can consider beef ribs. Try to get boneless ones so that you can enjoy the tender meat of the beef when it is cooked for hours. Typically, you can go for beef brisket as well, another common choice for stew.
How is Traditional Beef Stew with Baguette Served?
There are different ways of serving this traditional beef stew. It is dictated by the different regions in Vietnam as well as when the dish is being served. Traditionally, it is eaten for breakfast and served mainly as a stew. However, for a heartier meal, people do serve it over noodles or white rice in central Vietnam. The people in the south of Vietnam usually have this dish with a crusty bread known as a baguette. This makes it a versatile dish that can be eaten during lunch and even dinner.
What Makes Bo Kho So Different?
You may be wondering what makes Vietnamese beef stew so unique? Isn’t it just like any other stews? Bo Kho is versatile in the sense that it can be eaten in many ways! Just as mentioned above, you can eat it with rice or baguette, or make it into beef noodles soup!
Where to find Traditional Beef Stew with Baguette in Malaysia?
Lucky for us we can find this dish at Saigon House Cuisine where they serve this dish as well as the noodle version of it. You can also go to Highland Viet Cafe to enjoy their bread with beef stew. Pho Vietz (Midvalley) also serves famous Vietnamese baguette of their version that you could give it a try. Be sure to find out more of Vietnamese cuisine on foodpanda!