Bo Kho ( Vietnamese Beef Stew )

0 - Paleo, Beef, Pressure Cooker

Difficulty: Medium Source:

Ingredients

½ teaspoon ghee

5 pounds bone-in short ribs OR 2½ pounds grass fed beef brisket or chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1½-inch cubes (all work equally well)

1 yellow onion, peeled and diced

1½ teaspoons Madras curry powder

2½ tablespoons peeled and microplaned fresh ginger

2 cups canned diced tomatoes, drained and crushed by hand

3 tablespoons Red Boat fish sauce

2 tablespoons applesauce

1 large stalk lemongrass, trimmed of loose leaves, cut into 3-inch lengths, and bruised with a heavy object (e.g. ramekin, meat pounder, broad side of kitchen knife—you get the idea)

2 whole star anise

1 bay leaf

1 cup bone broth

1 pound carrots, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces

Kosher salt

Directions

Prep your ingredients!

Grab your pressure cooker and melt the ghee over medium high heat. If you have an Instant Pot, use the “Sauté” function to heat the fat. Dry off the ribs and sear them in the pressure cooker.

Fry the beef in batches because you don’t want to overcrowd them in the pressure cooker.

Transfer the seared beef to a separate bowl or plate.

Toss in the onions and saute until translucent.

Add the curry powder…

…ginger…

…seared beef, diced tomatoes, and fish sauce.

Drop in the applesauce, star anise…

…smashed lemongrass stalks, and bay leaf.

Pour in the broth.

Cover and lock the lid of your pressure cooker.

set it to 50 minutes high pressure. (If you’re using cubed brisket or chuck roast, press the “Meat/Stew” button to set it to cook for 35 minutes under high pressure.) Once the pot is programmed, walk away.

When the stew is finished cooking, turn off the pressure cooker.

…and add the carrots.

Cook for 7 minutes under high pressure. This time, when the stew finishes cooking, turn off the pressure cooker and let the pressure drop naturally. If the pressure hasn’t dropped completely after 15 minutes, turn the valve at the top of the lid to fully release the pressure.

Adjust the stew for seasoning with salt and fish sauce if needed.

Notes

Dig in right away—or store the stew in the fridge or freezer to eat at a later date. The stew will keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge and several months in the freezer.