Nghe An’s traditional beef shank braised with molasses, a must-try dish

Beef shank braised with molasses is one of the central province of Nghe An’s specialties, one that guests and foodies are unlikely to forget.

Nghe An is well known nationwide for its organic molasses, made from the sugarcanes grown locally, which have their own distinctive flavour. So all local households store the molasses to braise beef shanks for any big party, such as Tet (Lunar New Year) or a wedding, but it is also a dish now served for every day meals, said local resident Phan Thi Ngot.

“The molasses are a natural preserve to help the dish has its own special flavour and savoury, spicy from chilli and fragrant from ginger and quality fish sauce,” added Ngot, 76, who lives in Tan Ky district’s Tan Huong village, which is famed for making quality molasses.

To make this tasty dish, the most important thing is to get fresh beef shanks, which Ngot orders in advance to ensure it is a good grade of meat.

Each family has its own way of cooking the dish; and Ngot too has her 'secret' recipe.

Ingredients include fresh green tea leaves, dried chilli, garlic, dried onion, lemongrass, cinnamon, anise, clove buds, and amomum tsao-ko.

Ngot said she starts by boiling the fresh green tea leaves with water to clean the meat very carefully, so as to release any unpleasant smell and help ensure the beef is savoury and tender.

After braising, the shank will be solid but still soft and so it is easy to cut it into very thin slices, which will then take in the flavour of all the spices.

Other steps include grilling the ginger over charcoal, before frying it together with chopped onion and lemongrass, molasses and fish sauce, in which the beef shank has been marinaded for at least a day and a night, before it is then cooked for one hour over small fire, said Ngot.

“The dish is enjoyable when eating it cool,” she added.

Ngot’s daughter Nguyen Thi Hoang, who has been resettled in Denmark, said when she is homesick, she often cooks beef shanks to remind her parents in Vietnam.

“I often cook the dish to welcome in the Tet holiday. But despite my efforts, my braised beef shank dish is not as tasty as the one cooked by my mother, because we lack with several original Vietnamese spices in Denmark,” said Hoang, adding however that her family still greatly enjoys the taste.

In addition to the Nghe An-style braised beef shank, TasteAtlas, the world’s culinary map, recently recognized Vietnam’s stewed beef among the top 100 most tasty great dishes in the world.

"Braised beef and stewed beef are among one of the favourite dishes in Vietnam. Ingredients include beef, carrots, onions, shallot, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, pepper, and chilli. Apart from being eaten with bread, diners can also enjoy it with rice and pho topped with fresh herbs," TasteAtlas reported. "It can be eaten as breakfast, lunch or dinner."