Bun Bo

This one is a bit of a doozy, but very rewarding.

Cooking time: 2-3 hours 

Ingredients:

5 pounds of beef chuck roast

5-6 lemongrass stalks

3-5 pieces of ginger (a large handful)

9 sweet onions

3 pounds of tomatoes + 2 (generally about 6-8 tomatoes)

Rock Sugar

Salt

Peppercorns

Black pepper

Fish sauce

Rice Noodles

Pineapple juice

Fried garlic

Garnish:

Lemon

Thai Basil

Cabbage

Hot pepper

Purple perilla

Instructions.

(Tips for the vegetable slicing, have a garbage or compost pail nearby) 

1. Mince 2 stalks of lemongrass. Then take 3-4 stalks and chop off the ends and tie in a bundle to let the essences out.

2. Fill big pot with big water. Start heating the big boy up.

3. Peel 3-5 petite gingers (the little ones seem to have more flavor) and cut slits into them to let the essence out into the broth. Cut them almost like you’re slicing them, but don’t go all the way through.

4. Put the beef chuck roasts in the water whole. Also add the ginger and bundle of lemongrass. (Can also wait to put those in if you want to skim the skum without those in the way.

5. Peel  and cut sweet onions partially through. So, score them deeply on two sides facing opposite each other on opposite sides of the onion. (7 onions) Add to pot.

Also set aside one or two additional large onions and slice those in half and then thinly slice. Set aside.

6. 3 lbs. of tomatoes, quarter or sixth them. Add to pot.

Take 2 addition tomatoes, half and thinly slice and set aside

7. Add a small piece of rock sugar. (Like 2 ounces)

Add 1.5 Tbsp of salt.

8. By now the broth should be boiling or close. At this point skim the skum while the beef cooks. Once the meat is cooked, pull it out and let it cook off. Then slice it against the grain of the meat. You don’t want it too thin because you want it a bit cheery for eating.

(You know the meat is done when it floats. It takes about an hour)

(If there are bones add those back in and you can add a fatty piece back in for flavor as well if you’d like)

9. Add 2 tsp of peppercorns once finished skimming the skum.

Add 1-2 ladles of fish sauce. 

Bring to a boil then let simmer.

Add a handful of fried garlic.

Add a little can of pineapple juice.

10. Take another pot, medium-large sized. Put in a little oil, once hot add the tomatoes that were set aside before and cook for a couple minutes (careful for splash). Then add the meat, add the sliced onions that were set aside in last and ladle in some of the broth. Add the minced lemongrass. Add a splash of fish sauce. Add black pepper. Bring to a boil and test if meat is tender. If not, boil until tender. 

11. Make rice noodles.

Prepare thinly sliced cabbage, red onion, green onion, mint, and Thai basil as you wish.

We also like to set out a small bowl of fish sauce with hot pepper sliced in it so people can add more if they want.