Pho Bo Kho

Prep Time
< 30 minutes
Cook Time
< 30 minutes
Ingredients:
  • 5 lbs. beef shank or roast chuck (cut into 3/4 – 1” pieces)
  • BROTH
  • ½ packet of Vietnamese beef stew seasoning (~4 tbs)
  • 6 cloves of garlic (roughly minced)
  • 1 medium yellow onion (quartered)
  • 1½ tablespoons fresh ginger (sliced)
  • 1-2 stalks stalks lemon grass (~7” of the aromatic root area, pounded)
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3-4 pods star anise
  • 4-5 bay leaves
  • 64 oz beef broth (low sodium)
  • 3 carrots (1” slices)
  • 6 scallions (whites of scallion onion)
  • 1½ tablespoons palm sugar
  • ADDITIONAL SEASONINGS
  • 1½ tablespoons chicken bouillon or MSG
  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce
  • ½ packet Vietnamese beef stew seasoning
  • ACCOUTREMENT
  • Vietnamese pho noodles
  • French baguettes (sliced)
  • ½ white onion (thinly sliced)
  • 1 bunch cilantro
  • 1 bunch Thai basil
  • 6 scallions (greens of the scallion onion)
  • 1 sliced jalapeño
  • 1 sliced lemon
  • sriracha
  • hoisin sauce
Instructions:
  1. Place the beef pieces on the bottom of the Crockpot®.
  2. Top the beef with all your broth ingredients except the carrots.
  3. Turn the Crockpot on HIGH for 4 hours.
  4. Add the carrots halfway in the broth’s cooking time. During this time, season the broth with the chicken bouillon/MSG, fish sauce, and the rest of the Vietnamese beef stew seasoning pack. Cover and let the soup finish for the last 2 hours.
  5. If using dried pho noodles, add noodles to a bowl then cover with lukewarm water and soak for 15 to 20 minutes until soft and opaque.
  6. To cook the noodles, bring a large pot filled with water to a boil. Place noodles into boiling water and cook for about 10 seconds or until they collapse. Drain noodles then divide between bowls.
  7. Once the broth is done, discard the white onion chunks, star anise pods, bay leaves, and ginger.
  8. Pour the broth over the noodles then serve with accoutrement: squeeze some lemon juice on top and tear the fresh Thai basil, sliced green onion, and cilantro onto your bowl. Take occasional bites of jalapeño, and dip a few pieces of meat into the sriracha and/or hoisin sauce
  9. Fun fact, bo kho can also be done without the pho noodles and eat with just a French baguette!
Asian