Pha Lau Bo (Beef Offal Stew in Coconut Milk)

Method

1. Bring water to a boil. Cut the limes into pieces, and scrape and finely chop the ginger and galangal.
2. Pour the boiling water over the offal to cover it, soak it with the lime, ginger, and galangal, then rinse it several times in clean water and drain it.
3. Mix 1/2 tablespoon of curry powder, 1/2 tablespoon of five spice powder, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 2 teaspoons of seasoning, 2 teaspoons of kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, 1 teaspoon of minced chili, and 4 to 5 drops of orange food coloring, then marinate the offal for 1 hour.
4. Toast or grill 2 star anise and 5 pieces of cinnamon until fragrant.
5. Fry 2 teaspoons of minced shallot, 2 teaspoons of minced garlic, and 2 teaspoons of pounded galangal in 1 tablespoon of cooking oil until fragrant, then add the marinated offal and stir fry until just cooked.
6. Pour 3 liters of fresh coconut water into the pot with the toasted cinnamon and star anise and cook about 1 hour until the offal is tender.
7. Add 300ml of coconut milk and keep cooking until the liquid thickens, then lower the heat to keep it hot. Ladle it into bowls and serve with fresh greens and a dipping sauce.

Tips

• Soaking the offal in boiling water with lime, ginger and galangal and rinsing it several times is the step that decides whether the smell is gone.
• Toasting the star anise and cinnamon before they go into the pot makes the liquid noticeably more fragrant.
• Coconut milk goes in last, since a hard boil makes it split.
• Simmer gently with the lid ajar, since a rolling boil toughens the offal again.
• Cut the tripe into large pieces, since its thickness is uneven and small pieces shrink away over a long simmer.