Hot Pot Beef

Here’s a step-by-step recipe for Vietnamese Beef Hotpot (Lẩu Bò) — a popular family and party dish in Vietnam.

🥘 Ingredients (4–6 servings)

Broth Base

• 2 lbs (900g) beef bones (marrow or knuckle bones work best)

• 1 lb (450g) brisket or shank (optional, for added flavor and meat to serve)

• 2 stalks lemongrass, smashed and tied in a knot

• 1 medium onion, charred or roasted

• 1 piece ginger (about 2 inches), charred or roasted

• 3–4 cloves garlic, lightly smashed

• 2–3 dried shrimp or dried squid (optional, for umami)

• 2–3 star anise + 1 cinnamon stick

• 2–3 tbsp fish sauce

• 1 tbsp rock sugar (or regular sugar)

• Salt to taste

Hotpot Add-Ins (customizable)

• Thinly sliced beef (ribeye, sirloin, flank, or assorted cuts)

• Beef meatballs or tendon meatballs (optional)

• Beef tripe or tendon (optional, par-boiled)

Vegetables & Accompaniments

• Water spinach (rau muống), ong choy, or morning glory

• Napa cabbage or bok choy

• Enoki mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, or straw mushrooms

• Fresh herbs: Vietnamese coriander (rau răm), sawtooth herb (ngò gai), Thai basil

• Tofu or fried tofu puffs

• Rice noodles (bún) or egg noodles

• Dipping sauce: fermented tofu sauce (mắm nêm) or a simple mix of lime, salt, and chili

🍲 Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prepare the Broth

1. Clean the bones & meat: Blanch beef bones and brisket in boiling water for 5 minutes, then rinse to remove impurities.

2. Simmer broth: In a large pot, add bones, brisket, ~4–5 liters of water. Bring to a boil, skim foam.

3. Flavor base: Add lemongrass, onion, ginger, garlic, dried shrimp/squid, star anise, cinnamon.

4. Season: Add fish sauce, rock sugar, and a pinch of salt.

5. Simmer low & slow: Cook for 2–3 hours (or longer for richer flavor). Remove brisket when tender, slice thinly for serving.

2. Final Seasoning

• Taste broth and adjust with extra fish sauce or salt to balance savory-sweet flavors. Broth should be fragrant with lemongrass and slightly sweet from rock sugar.

  
  

3. Serving the Hotpot

1. Place broth in a hotpot cooker (or portable gas/electric burner) at the table.

2. Arrange sliced beef, meatballs, tripe, tofu, mushrooms, and vegetables on platters.

3. Diners cook ingredients at the table by dipping into the simmering broth.

4. Serve with rice noodles or egg noodles and dipping sauces.

🌶 Tips & Variations

• Spicy version: Add chili oil or sate sauce to the broth.

• Fermented bean curd base: Some southern Vietnamese recipes enrich the broth with fermented tofu for depth.

• Quick method: Use pre-made beef stock and enhance with lemongrass, fish sauce, and spices.