Vietnamese Beef Pho

Ingredients

• 3 lb beef leg bones (or marrow bones)
• 1 yellow onion (large, halved)
• 4 oz ginger (large piece, sliced lengthwise)
• 5 star anise (whole pods)
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 5 cloves (whole)
• 1 cardamom pod (black cardamom preferred)
• 6 qt water
• 1 lb beef brisket
• 0.25 cup fish sauce (adjust to taste)
• 1 oz rock sugar (or 2 tbsp granulated sugar)
• 1 tbsp salt (plus more for parboiling)
• 1 lb dried rice sticks (pho noodles)
• 0.5 lb beef eye round (very thinly sliced)
• 1 bunch Thai basil (fresh leaves for garnish)
• 2 cup bean sprouts (fresh)
• 1 jalapeño (sliced)
• 2 lime (cut into wedges)
• hoisin sauce (for serving)
• Sriracha (for serving)

Steps

1. 1

   Place the beef leg bones in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a rolling boil for 10 minutes to release impurities. Drain the water and rinse the bones thoroughly under cold running water. Clean the pot.

2. 2

   While the bones are boiling, char the halved onion and sliced ginger. You can do this over an open gas flame using tongs or under a broiler until the surfaces are blackened and fragrant. Rinse off any loose burnt skin.

3. 3

   In a small dry skillet over medium heat, toast the star anise, cinnamon sticks, coriander seeds, cloves, and cardamom pod for 2-3 minutes until they become highly aromatic. Place them in a spice bag or cheesecloth for easy removal later.

4. 4

   Return the cleaned bones to the stockpot. Add 6 quarts of fresh water, the charred onion, charred ginger, the spice bag, and the beef brisket.

5. 5

   Bring the pot to a boil, then immediately reduce to a low simmer. Skim any foam or fat that rises to the surface periodically. Simmer uncovered for at least 3 hours (up to 6-8 hours for deeper flavor).

6. 6

   After 1.5 hours of simmering, remove the beef brisket. Submerge it in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes to prevent darkening, then wrap and refrigerate until ready to slice for serving.

7. 7

   Once the broth is finished simmering, remove the bones and aromatics. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot.

8. 8

   Season the strained broth with fish sauce, rock sugar, and salt. Adjust seasoning to your preference; the broth should be slightly over-seasoned as the noodles will dilute the flavor.

9. 9

   Prepare the rice noodles according to package instructions (usually soaking in hot water until soft, then a quick boil). Drain and set aside.

10. 10

    To assemble, place a portion of noodles in a deep bowl. Top with thin slices of the cooked brisket and raw slices of eye round beef.

11. 11

    Bring the broth back to a rolling boil and pour the piping hot liquid over the beef in the bowl; the heat from the broth will cook the thin raw beef slices instantly.

12. 12

    Serve immediately with a side plate of Thai basil, bean sprouts, jalapeño slices, and lime wedges. Provide hoisin and sriracha for dipping or adding to the broth.

Notes

For the clearest broth, never let the soup reach a violent boil after the initial parboiling of the bones. A gentle simmer prevents the fat from emulsifying into the liquid. Slicing the raw beef is easiest if the meat is partially frozen for 30 minutes.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• soup
• Vietnamese
• beef
• noodle soup
• dinner
• gluten-free