The secret to cooking Hanoi-style beef stew that is delicious and not greasy

How did beef stew come to Hanoi ?

Beef stew in red wine sauce entered Vietnam with the culinary exchange, this dish has been slightly modified to suit regional tastes. And is "Hanoi-ized beef stew" or does it still retain the basic characteristics in flavor in different regions?

No matter how Hanoians cook dishes from other provinces or imported foreign dishes, they will change and adapt them a bit to suit their taste. Hanoians - including culinary expert Vu Thi Tuyet Nhung - have shared how to cook a pot of beef stew in a "Hanoi-ized version" as below.

Ingredients to prepare beef stew that is not greasy, delicious, no colorants and no white meat. Photo: Vu Thi Tuyet Nhung.

The French introduced beef stew to Hanoi in the late 19th century, starting from the kitchens of French civil servants and French hotels and restaurants. It then spread to restaurants and gradually entered the kitchens of middle-class families in Hanoi.

According to Ms. Vu Thi Tuyet Nhung, when her mother was alive, she only occasionally cooked beef in red wine sauce. When she got married, she also occasionally cooked this dish. On days when the family entertained guests and there was still some leftover wine, she usually did not waste it, or tried to drink it all - but stored it in the refrigerator, a few days later it could still be used to cook beef in red wine sauce.

How to cook beef stew "Hanoi version"

On cool days, many Hanoian grandmothers cook old-fashioned beef stew, which is very tasty and delicious - unlike restaurants that often add a lot of food coloring and mix in a lot of white meat, which is not tasty.

Here is the old-fashioned way of cooking beef stew shared by Ms. Vu Thi Tuyet Nhung.

Ingredient:

- 1kg beef including tendon, thigh, ribs, brisket...

- 1 tablespoon salt

- 1/2 bowl of rice wine.

- 1 packet of basil powder (sold at the market)

- Onions, garlic (optional), 1 cardamom, 1 small cinnamon stick the size of your little finger, 1/2 star anise, 1 dried cinnamon leaf (for fragrance), 1-2 tablespoons of annatto oil (you can buy food coloring and make it yourself, or replace annatto oil with gac oil, fresh gac pulp, or Korean non-spicy chili powder).

Making

Beef (tendon, thigh, ribs, brisket...) wash clean, cut into small matchbox sized pieces.

Marinate the beef with 1 tablespoon of salt, 1/2 bowl of rice wine, crushed and minced onion and garlic, 1 packet of basil powder (or 1 cardamom pod, or 1 small cinnamon stick and 1/2 star anise, 1 branch of dried cinnamon leaves.

Marinate the beef with 1-2 tablespoons of annatto oil (or replace with gac oil, fresh gac pulp, or Korean non-spicy chili powder).

Marinate for about 3 hours, or half a day is better. Then place the basket on top of a small pot or bowl and pour the beef into the basket, collecting the marinade below.

Fry dried onion and garlic with 1 small tablespoon of oil (or fat, butter) until fragrant, then add marinated beef until cooked.

The beef stew is done. Photo: Vu Thi Tuyet Nhung

Take a few spoons of flour (can be 1 ladle of flour, or if you want it to be really thick, add more so you can eat the beef stew with bread) and stir-fry until slightly golden (just until the aroma is gone).

Pour the roasted flour into the stir-fried beef pan until thick.

Pour in the marinade that was just drained and continue to boil until absorbed.

Then add about 1 liter of water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Continue to simmer for about 1 hour. If you want the beef to be tender, you can simmer for another 15 minutes.

Now blend 3 ounces of tomatoes with 1 bowl of water in a blender, then filter out the pulp.

Fry onion in oil (or butter) separately then pour into the beef stew pot - this helps the beef stew to have a beautiful red color.

When the beef stew is almost done, pour 1 ladle of wine into the pot to add more aroma. This will help prevent vitamin loss and reduce the aroma (if you don't have wine, add white wine in half the amount of wine).

When the beef stew is cooked, remove from heat and eat hot or cold.

Beef stew with red wine sauce is delicious with bread, rice, noodles, pho... Photo: Vu Thi Tuyet Nhung.

According to Ms. Vu Thi Tuyet Nhung, there are many different ways to cook beef in red wine sauce. But the great secret when preparing beef is to use wine to reduce the strong smell of the beef and keep the meat fresh.

In addition, some housewives can add a little butter, a little potato, carrot, or stir in a little tapioca starch, knife flour, cornstarch, which is also a family tradition. There are many variations of beef stew, but the old-style "Hanoi-style" beef stew is only cooked with beef, without adding other flavors.

A successful beef stew is tender, fragrant, rich in flavor, delicious and not inferior to eating at a restaurant. When eating, sprinkle some green onions, pepper, drizzle some chili sauce, dip bread or pho noodles, or eat with cold rice, all of which can easily satisfy everyone's stomach.

- Sprinkling a little wine while cooking beef in red wine sauce will keep the fresh sweetness and nutrition.

- If you are afraid of beef fat, afraid of feeling full, or beef fat is difficult to digest (due to being deposited in the intestinal wall, difficult to eliminate...) then let the beef stew cool and then put it in the refrigerator. When the fat solidifies, skim off the yellow scum, then reheat the pot. beef stew

- Or when the pot of beef stew is hot, use a large ladle filled with ice cubes and then stir it back and forth over the surface of the pot of beef stew so that the fat sticks to the bottom of the ladle. When the ladle is full of fat, remove the fat and boil the pot of beef stew again.

Source: https://giadinh.suckhoedoisong.vn/bi-quyet-nau-thit-bo-sauc-vang-kieu-ha-noi-xua-ngon-mieng-khong-ngay-mau-do-dep-khong-pham-mau-172240508194147092.htm