Name: Phá lấu bò — Saigon beef offal stew with coconut and five-spice
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 270 min
Cuisine: Vietnam
Ingredients: 800 g inspected, pre-cleaned beef tripe (blanket or honeycomb), cut into 4-cm pieces; 300 g inspected, pre-cleaned beef intestine, cut into 5-cm lengths; 300 g beef tendon, cut into 4-cm pieces; 6 g five-spice powder; 45 ml fish sauce; 30 ml light soy sauce; 20 g sugar; 2 g ground black pepper; 40 g tender inner lemongrass, minced; 80 g shallots, finely chopped; 20 g garlic, minced; 20 g ginger, finely grated; 15 ml annatto oil; 1 litre unsweetened coconut water; 500 ml water, plus more if needed to keep the offal mostly covered; 400 ml unsweetened coconut milk; 4 g fine salt, or to taste; 15 g tamarind concentrate; 45 ml warm water; 20 ml fish sauce; 30 ml rice vinegar; 15 g sugar; 1 small red chili, finely sliced (optional); 360 g Vietnamese baguette (bánh mì), about 60 g per portion

Wide view of phá lấu bò in coconut broth with bánh mì and tamarind fish-sauce dip. — A street-food style bowl of spiced beef offal stew.

Yield 6 portions

Cook 180 minutes

Passive 45 minutes

Total 4 hours 30 minutes

Calories About 656 kcal per serving

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Phá lấu bò — Saigon beef offal stew with coconut and five-spice

Phá lấu is a richly spiced offal braise closely associated with Sài Gòn, now Ho Chi Minh City. The beef version, phá lấu bò, is sold at casual street-side stalls and small eateries. A bowl may include tripe and other offal simmered with warm spices in a broth that can contain coconut water or coconut milk. Vendors vary the offal mix, sweetness, richness and dipping sauce, so this is one practical home version rather than a fixed formula.

This recipe combines cleaned beef tripe, intestine and tendon for contrasting textures: tripe becomes tender with a slight spring, intestine softens, and tendon turns gelatinous. Five-spice, lemongrass, ginger and garlic give the broth a warm aroma; coconut milk added near the end makes it smooth without overwhelming the spices. Serve it steaming hot with torn pieces of bánh mì for dipping. The small tamarind-chili sauce adds a bright, sour note, but it is offered separately so each person can season a bite.

Offal must come from a reputable inspected source and needs careful cold handling. Buy it pre-cleaned and ready to cook, keep it chilled, blanch it in fresh water, then braise until fully tender and hot through. The long simmer is important for both texture and a thoroughly cooked stew.

Practical

Keys to successBuy inspected, pre-cleaned tripe and intestine; keep them refrigerated and use promptly. Blanch the offal in separate batches, discard the water and sanitize the work area before marinating. Simmer gently rather than boiling hard. Low heat softens the tripe and tendon and helps keep the coconut broth smooth. Judge tenderness across the different cuts; tendon can need another 30–60 minutes after the tripe is ready. Add coconut milk near the end and avoid a hard boil so the broth does not split.

Ingredients

Beef offal and marinade

800 g inspected, pre-cleaned beef tripe (blanket or honeycomb), cut into 4-cm pieces
300 g inspected, pre-cleaned beef intestine, cut into 5-cm lengths
300 g beef tendon, cut into 4-cm pieces
6 g five-spice powder
45 ml fish sauce
30 ml light soy sauce
20 g sugar
2 g ground black pepper
40 g tender inner lemongrass, minced
80 g shallots, finely chopped
20 g garlic, minced
20 g ginger, finely grated
15 ml annatto oil

Braising liquid

1 litre unsweetened coconut water
500 ml water, plus more if needed to keep the offal mostly covered
400 ml unsweetened coconut milk
4 g fine salt, or to taste

Tamarind dip

15 g tamarind concentrate
45 ml warm water
20 ml fish sauce
30 ml rice vinegar
15 g sugar
1 small red chili, finely sliced (optional)

To serve

360 g Vietnamese baguette (bánh mì), about 60 g per portion

Method

Prepare the offal safely. Keep inspected, pre-cleaned offal refrigerated until use. Cut tripe into 4-cm pieces, intestine into 5-cm lengths and tendon into 4-cm pieces. Use a dedicated board and keep raw offal and package liquid away from ready-to-eat foods.
Blanch separately. Bring a large pot of fresh water to a boil. Blanch the tripe, intestine and tendon in separate batches for 5 minutes each. Drain into a colander and discard the water. Wash hands and clean and sanitize the pot, sink area and tools before continuing.
Season and marinate. Toast the five-spice briefly in a dry skillet until fragrant. In a bowl, combine it with 45 ml fish sauce, soy sauce, 20 g sugar, pepper, half the lemongrass, half the shallot, half the garlic, ginger and annatto oil. Add the blanched offal, turn to coat, cover and refrigerate for 45 minutes.
Start the braise. Heat a large clean pot over medium heat. Add the marinated offal and aromatics; cook, stirring, for 6–8 minutes until fragrant. Add the coconut water and 500 ml water. Bring to a boil and skim surface foam, then lower to a gentle simmer and cover partially.
Cook until tender. Braise gently for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally and adding hot water if needed to keep the pieces mostly submerged. Add the remaining lemongrass, shallot and garlic. Continue simmering until the tripe and intestine are tender and the tendon is soft and gelatinous, usually 30–60 minutes more. Check several thick pieces with a clean thermometer; the offal should reach at least 71°C / 160°F. Continue cooking if any part is cool or tough.
Finish the coconut broth. Stir in the coconut milk and salt. Simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes until aromatic and lightly creamy. Taste and adjust with a little more fish sauce or salt if needed. Keep the broth at a gentle simmer; a hard boil can split the coconut milk.
Make the dip and serve. Dissolve tamarind concentrate in 45 ml warm water. Mix in 20 ml fish sauce, rice vinegar, 15 g sugar and optional chili. Slice the baguette. Ladle hot offal and broth into bowls, with the dip and bread alongside.
Store leftovers safely. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow covered containers within 2 hours (within 1 hour above 32°C / 90°F). Use cooked offal and broth within 3–4 days refrigerated; reheat to 74°C / 165°F.

Practical

Practical guidance

Ask the butcher for inspected, ready-to-cook tripe and intestine. Offal is perishable: keep it cold, plan to cook it soon after purchase, and follow the supplier’s date and storage directions. Raw variety meats should be refrigerated and used within 1–2 days or frozen. The brief blanch is for flavor and surface scum; it does not replace the long braise. The broth should be spoonable, not as thick as a curry. If it reduces too far before the tendon softens, add hot water in small amounts. If you prefer a richer bowl, stir in a little more coconut milk at the end, but the listed amount is included in the nutrition estimate. A few drops of chili or tamarind dip brighten the broth; offer them at the table rather than adding them to the whole pot.

Troubleshooting

Tripe is still chewy: Keep simmering gently and check again in 20–30 minutes; tenderness varies by cut. Tendon is firm: Give it more time. It should be soft and gelatinous, not rubbery. Broth is too rich: Add hot water a little at a time and adjust salt after it returns to a simmer. Coconut milk separates: Lower the heat and stir gently; avoid a rolling boil after adding it. Dip tastes too sharp: Add a little warm water or sugar, a small amount at a time.

Frequently asked questions

Can I prepare the stew ahead? Yes. Cool it promptly in shallow containers and refrigerate. The broth may thicken as it chills; loosen with a splash of water while reheating to 74°C / 165°F. Can I use only tripe? Yes. Replace the intestine and tendon with the same weight of tripe. The texture will be more uniform, and the cooking time may be shorter; begin checking tenderness after about 2 hours.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: one sixth of the stew, about 60 g baguette and one sixth of the dip. Approximate values: 656 kcal; 54 g carbohydrate; 44 g protein; 29 g fat; 5 g fibre; 2,200 mg sodium. The estimate assumes most broth is eaten. Offal mix, coconut-milk fat, broth left in the bowl and fish-sauce sodium vary; this is not a laboratory analysis.

Nutrition per serving

Serving sizeServing size: one sixth of the stew, about 60 g baguette and one sixth of the dip. Approximate values
Calories656 kcal
carbohydrate54 g
protein44 g
fat29 g
fibre5 g
sodium2,200 mg

Allergens and safety

Contains fish (fish sauce), soy and coconut; the baguette contains wheat/gluten. Check packaged ingredient labels for other allergens. Keep raw offal and its packaging liquid away from ready-to-eat foods. Use inspected, pre-cleaned offal, keep it refrigerated and cook thoroughly; this recipe simmers it until tender and at least 71°C / 160°F. USDA guidance recommends using fresh variety meats such as tripe within 1–2 days refrigerated or freezing them. Refrigerate cooked stew within 2 hours (1 hour above 32°C / 90°F) and reheat leftovers to 74°C / 165°F.

Serve it well

Ladle the steaming stew into small bowls and bring torn bánh mì for dipping.
Offer the tamarind-chili dip separately so diners can add a little to each bite.

Phá lấu bò — Saigon beef offal stew with coconut and five-spice

Practical

Ingredients

Beef offal and marinade

Braising liquid

Tamarind dip

To serve

Method

Practical

Practical guidance

Troubleshooting

Frequently asked questions

Nutrition per serving

Nutrition per serving

Allergens and safety

Serve it well

Vietnamese National Dishes

Bò né — Saigon-style sizzling beef with egg and pâté

Bánh tráng trộn — Saigon mixed rice-paper salad

Bún bò Nam Bộ — dry beef vermicelli bowl with herbs and peanuts