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I’ve always loved Bò 7 Món also known as 7 Courses of Beef. I know it sounds overwhelming if you’ve never experienced it before, but trust me, it’s such a treat. Each course builds on the next, drawing you in with layers of flavor and texture until the final soup course wraps up the feast. Every dish centers around beef, but no two are alike, and that’s what makes it so special.
When I was growing up, my family would go out for Bò 7 Món whenever there was a big celebration—Lunar New Year, New Year’s Day, or a milestone gathering. Living in LA, there weren’t many restaurants that offered the full seven courses, but then again it’s challenging to find elsewhere as well including Vietnam. So why not create a version at home?
Nowadays, I find myself wanting more control over the quality of the meat—grass-fed, well-marbled, and handled with care—something that’s hard to find in most restaurants. So I started recreating the dishes at home, one course at a time.
Among all seven, Bò Nhúng Dấm has always held a special place in my heart. It was my first introduction to hot pot, and I can still remember that unmistakable aroma of vinegar and beer simmering together, gently cooking slices of beef right at the table.
This dish is incredibly simple, but it’s the kind of simplicity that lets the flavors shine. I love rolling the cooked beef in rice paper with fresh herbs, lettuce, and pickled vegetables, then dipping it into my anchovy dipping sauce (mắm nêm chấm)—it’s pungent, bold, and absolutely addictive. But if you prefer something lighter, a classic fish dipping sauce (nước mắm chấm) works beautifully too.
So why not bring Bò 7 Món home? You can make Bò Nhúng Dấm the centerpiece of your next dinner party or enjoy it as a cozy main dish for two. Either way, it’s a dish that celebrates connection, conversation, and the joy of cooking together.
Beef in vinegar hot pot – Bo Nhung Dam
Ingredients
Broth:
- 2 lemongrass, cut in 3 inch pieces
- 2 large shallots, cut in half
- 2 Tbsp ginger, around 2 inches, smashed
- 1 onion, quartered
- 1 liter coconut water
- 1 can beer
- 1 slice pineapple, peeled, cut ¼ inch thick and cut in half then in half again so you have 4 thin wedges
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1 ½ cup white vinegar
- 1 Tbsp kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp rock sugar
- 1 Tbsp mushroom powder
Filling for rice paper rolls:
- 1 lb beef tenderloin, sliced very thin
- onion, round slices
- herbs
- rice paper
- cucumber, sliced
- red leaf lettuce, or any lettuce
- green plantain, sliced very thin (optional)
- pineapple, cut into thin slices (optional)
- cooked rice vermicelli noodles (optional)
Dipping sauce:
- anchovy dipping sauce , (aka Mam nem Cham)
- hoisin dipping sauce or fish dipping sauce
Instructions
- Put beef in the freezer for an hour or two.
- Then slice the beef super thin, spread it on a plate, and place slices of onion rings on top.
- In a pot on medium high heat, fry shallots, lemongrass and ginger with oil for a couple of minutes.
- Add remaining broth ingredients.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
- When serving it, you can either just use the pot, or you can transfer the broth into a hotpot pot and strain the ingredients, so you just have the clear broth.
- Immerse beef into broth with the sliced onions and cook to desired doneness.
- Roll with herbs, unripened plantain sliced very thin, rice vermicelli noodles and pineapple sliced super thin.
- Dip with anchovy dipping sauce or any dipping sauce to your liking.
Nutrition
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