Ingredients
Spice Packet (in mesh bag)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 5 whole star anise
- 1 cardamom pod
- 6 whole cloves
Broth
- 2 onion halved
- 4 inch fresh ginger halved lengthwise
- 5 lb beef bones preferably leg and knuckle
- 1 lb beef (optional) chuck, brisket, rump, cut into large slices
- 6 qt water
- 1 1/2 tbsp kosher salt half if using regular salt
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 1 inch yellow rock sugar approx 1oz; or 1 oz of regular sugar
Bowl
- 2 lb rice noodles dried or fresh
- 1/2 lb flank or other high quality steak; thin as slice as possible
- 1 handful mint
- 1 handful cilantro
- 1 handful thai basil
- 2 handful bean sprouts
- 2 limes cut into wedges
- hoisin sauce
- Sriracha hot sauce
Servings:
Instructions
Char
- Turn your broiler on high and move rack to the highest spot.
- Place ginger and onions on baking sheet.
- Brush just a bit of cooking oil on the cut side of each.
- Broil on high until ginger and onions begin to char.
- Turn over and continue to char. This should take a total of 10-15 minutes.
Parboil Bones
- Fill large pot (12-qt capacity) with cool water. Boil water, and then add the bones, keeping the heat on high.
- Boil vigorously for 10 minutes.
- Drain, rinse the bones and rinse out the pot. Refill pot with bones and 6 qts of cool water.
- Bring to boil over high heat and lower to simmer.
- Using a ladle or a fine mesh strainer, remove any scum that rises to the top.
Broth
- Add ginger, onion, spice packet, beef, sugar, fish sauce, salt and simmer uncovered for 1 1/2 hours.
- Remove the beef meat and set aside (you'll be eating this meat later in the bowls)
- Continue simmering for another 1 1/2 hours.
- Strain broth and return the broth to the pot.
- Taste broth and adjust seasoning - this is a crucial step. If the broth's flavor doesn't quite shine yet, add 2 teaspoons more of fish sauce, large pinch of salt and a small nugget of rock sugar (or 1 teaspoon of regular sugar). Keep doing this until the broth tastes perfect.
Noodles & Meat
- Slice your flank/london broil/sirloin as thin as possible - try freezing for 15 minutes prior to slicing to make it easier.
- Remember the cooked beef meat that was part of your broth? Cut or shred the meat and set aside.
- Follow the directions on your package of noodles - there are many different sizes and widths of rice noodles, so make sure you read the directions. For some fresh rice noodles, just a quick 5 second blanch in hot water is all that's needed.
Ladling
- Bring your broth back to a boil.
- Fill each bowl with rice noodles, shredded cooked beef and raw meat slices.
- As soon as the broth comes back to a boil, ladle into each bowl. the hot broth will cook your raw beef slices. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Source: http://www.steamykitchen.com/271-vietnamese-beef-noodle-soup-pho.html