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.
