Lau bo thap cam bo vien works because the broth stays clear while tasting deep. Shank, tendon and belly each turn tender in their own way. The hardest parts are cleaning the smell off the beef and judging the cooking time, since a short braise leaves the tendon tough.
The pot goes 40 minutes under pressure, then the broth is strained into a second pot and seasoned again with fresh lemongrass. The dry spices are toasted first and tied into a mesh bag, which makes them easy to lift out.
This batch weighs about 2.7kg, at roughly 242 calories per 100g.
Method
Roll up 400g beef belly and tie it firmly at both ends and in the middle with kitchen string so it holds its shape during the braise.
Put the belly, 400g tendon and 600g shank in a basin, add half a knob of crushed ginger, 100ml white rice wine and 2 teaspoons salt, rub for 3 to 5 minutes, then rinse several times and drain.
Char 1 onion cut in half with the other half knob of ginger over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes until fragrant, then take them out.
In the same pan, toast the black cardamom, coriander seed, cinnamon and star anise over low heat for about 3 minutes, then tie them into a mesh bag with a drawstring.
Put the belly, tendon, shank, peeled and cut daikon radish, the charred onion and ginger, the spice bag, 2 teaspoons salt, 3 teaspoons seasoning powder, 1 tablespoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and 6 stalks of lemongrass into the pressure cooker, add 3 liters water and cook on the beef setting for about 40 minutes.
Soak 10g goji berries and 30g jujubes in a little water for 30 minutes. Peel the taro, cut it into pieces, soak it in lightly salted water for 10 minutes, rinse it, then fry both sides for 5 to 7 minutes until lightly golden.
Once the braise is done, lift out the meat, pour the broth into another pot and add the spice bag, 6 fresh lemongrass stalks and 1 liter water.
Season with 2 tablespoons kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 2 teaspoons MSG, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 tablespoon fish sauce and 1.5 tablespoons hoisin sauce, and simmer over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes.
When it returns to the boil, add the remaining daikon radish with the soaked goji berries and red dates, cook for another 10 minutes, taste and turn off the heat.
To serve, add the rest of the onion cut into wedges, the fried taro and 200g beef balls to the hot pot, ladle in the hot broth and bring it to the boil at the table.
Tips
Choose beef tendon with a natural pinkish white color and avoid anything pale and washed out.
Pick taro with rough skin, plenty of eyes and some soil still on it, that kind cooks up floury and sweet.
Tie the rolled beef belly tightly, since a loose roll falls apart once it has stewed.
Rub the meat with ginger, white rice wine and salt and rinse it several times, that is what keeps the beef smell out of the broth.
Skim the foam carefully as soon as it boils and the broth stays clear.
Add the beef balls and taro at the table, since they fall apart if they sit in the pot too long.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.