Vietnamese Beef Stew
I know what you’re thinking: “A stew. Really? When it’s so hot and muggy?”
Yes… because this Vietnamese Beef Stew proves that it IS possible for a stew to be light, and, dare I say it, refreshing.
It’s the star anise and cinnamon combination that lifts this stew above the ordinary and gives it a playful summery flavor. Simmering it for hours tenderizes an otherwise tough cut of meat and allows the flavors to deepen and develop.
My inspiration for this stew comes from a similar dish I devoured at James Beard Award-winning Chef Chris Shepherd’s restaurant, Underbelly, in Houston.
I prepared this recipe on top of the stove in my Pauli Cookware. You can also cook it in a crockpot, so that after being out of the house all day enjoying summer, you’ll have a great dinner waiting for you at home!
Vietnamese Beef Stew
prep: 30 minutes
cook: at least 1 hour (2 to 3 hours is ideal!)
serves 6 to 8
you’ll need…
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2½ pounds beef chuck, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 large onions, very thinly sliced
4 whole star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup fish sauce
4 cups low-sodium beef stock
2 serrano or jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded and sliced
3 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1-inch rounds
let’s get to it…
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large stockpot on medium heat. Working in batches, add about ⅓ of the beef chuck pieces and lightly brown. Remove from pot and add another ⅓ of the meat, brown and remove. Repeat with remaining meat.
Add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to stockpot and add onions. Stir until soft, about 6 to 7 minutes. Return meat to pan.
Add star anise, cinnamon and sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves. Stir in the fish sauce
Pour in the beef stock and reduce the heat to medium low. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Skim the fat off the top of the stew. Add the jalapeños and carrots and cook 30 to 45 minutes longer or until the beef is tender.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and chopped spring onions if desired.
Star anise is a key ingredient in this dish… read more about it in my post “What is Star Anise?”
Here’s another delicious dish I think you’ll enjoy… Seafood Cioppino.
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Yuuum! Vietnamese beef stew is one of my favorites my mom used to make when I was a kid. Thank you for sharing with us at the Motivational Mondays Linkup Party! 🙂
Thanks for your sweet words! Did she make it like this or another way?
That looks REALLLLY good!
Thanks… it is! It really is the star anise that sets it apart,
sounds yummy! I just won a crock pot the other day so might make this as our first recipe! Either way, this goes on the list!
Let me know what you think… and congrats on winning the crock pot (I never win anything!hahahahaha). Thanks for stopping by.
From one former journalist to another — Bravo! Glad you’re using both gifts (cooking and storytelling) to bring us beautiful recipes like this one. You’ve got a new fan in the Lone Star State. 🙂
OMG! I’m from Texas! Yee-haw! Looking forward to your recipes, too!
I was in Vietnam last year and had some great Pho. This recipe brings back great memories of that trip. I made a chicken version of this dish a few months ago, but the beef version sounds delicious! Great post, Christina!
Thanks, Bill. I’m planning a trip to Vietnam next year! Love to know where you visited. What time of year?