Vietnamese beef noodle pho recipe

Pho is the national dish in Vietnam and it basically is the umbrella name given to all kinds of Vietnamese noodle soups. But it can contain all different meats, vegetables and spices, combined together in one warming flavor fusion.

This traditional Vietnamese pho is made with beef, and also adds lots of potent spices to give depth of flavour to the broth.

 

Ingredients
(serves 6-8)

600g Boneless oxtail, chopped

1.5kg Beef shin, flank or rib

700g Beef bones

2litres basic chicken broth

1 large onion, trimmed

200g Fresh ginger, peeled

1 daikon/mooli, peeled

50g rock sugar

3tsp pork bouillon

4tbsp fish sauce

1 red onion, thinly sliced

A small handful of coriander

2 spring onions, thinly sliced

4 portions fresh noodles, blanched

Beef fillet, thinly sliced

Freshly sliced Thai sweet basil and coriander, chopped fresh chillies, lime wedges, beansprouts, hoisin sauce and chilli sauce, to garnish

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

And a spice bundle of:

20 star anise

½tsp cloves

3 cassia bark sticks

2 cinnamon sticks

1tsp coriander seeds

1tsp fennel seeds,

1tsp black peppercorns

2 black cardamom pods

4 pieces of dried orange peel, all tied into muslin cloth

 

Method 

Bring a very large saucepan of water to the boil with 2tbsp salt. Add the meat and bones and boil until scum forms on the surface – for about 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat and discard the water. Wash the meat in cold water, removing any scum, and set aside. This will give you a clearer broth.

Wash the pan, add 3litres of fresh water and bring to the boil. Now add the rested meat and bring to a gentle simmer. Skim off any scum and fat from the surface with a spoon. Add the chicken broth.

Now heat a stove-top griddle pan over high heat. Char the onion and ginger on both sides. Add to the broth with the daikon/mooli. Add the muslin spice bundle to the broth with 3tbsp salt and the sugar. Simmer for at least two hours with the lid on. Check it occasionally and skim off any scum and fat from the surface.

After two hours, remove the beef from the pan and allow it to rest slightly, then slice it thinly and store it in a sealed container until serving. Leave the bones and oxtail in the pan and simmer for at least one hour more. When ready to serve, add the pork bouillon, fish sauce and some black pepper, to taste.

Mix together the red onion, coriander and spring onions/scallions. Place a portion of cooked noodles into a big, deep soup bowl with a pinch of black pepper. Place some cooked beef on top and sprinkle with the red onion mixture.

To make it special, add raw beef fillet/tenderloin (it will cook perfectly in the hot broth). Bring the broth to boiling point, then pour ladles of it over the noodles to submerge them. Serve with the selection of condiments and garnishes for each diner to add.

 

A Bowlful of Broth, with recipes and introduction by Miranda Ballard, published by Ryland Peters & Small http://www.rylandpeters.com/a-bowlful-of-broth

photograph by Clare Winfield, recipe by Uyen Luu