Description
Learn how to make the most delicious Beef Pho Noodle Soup at home with our easy-to-follow recipe. Warm, comforting, and authentic Vietnamese flavors await!
Ingredients
- – 2 large onions, halved
- – 150g (5 oz) ginger, sliced down the center
- – 10 star anise
- – 4 cinnamon quills
- – 4 cardamom pods
- – 3 cloves (the spice cloves!)
- – 1.5 tbsp (23 ml) coriander seeds
- – 1.5 kg (3 lb) beef brisket
- – 1 kg (2 lb) meaty beef bones
- – 1 kg (2 lb) marrow bones (leg, knuckle), cut to reveal marrow
- – 3.5 liters (3.75 quarts) water (15 cups (3600 ml))
- – 2 tbsp (30 ml) white sugar
- – 1 tbsp (15 ml) salt
- – 40 ml (3 tbsp) soy sauce (Note 2)
- – 50g (1.5 oz) dried rice sticks (or 120g/4 oz fresh) (Note 3)
- – 30g (1 oz) beef tenderloin, raw, very thinly sliced (Note 4)
- – 3 – 5 brisket slices (used for broth)
- – Beansprouts, handful
- – Thai basil, 3 – 5 sprigs
- – Coriander/cilantro, 3 – 5 sprigs (or more basil)
- – Lime wedges*
- – Finely sliced red chili*
- – Plum sauce*
- – Chili paste* (for spiciness)
Instructions
- Preheat a heavy skillet over high heat without oil until it starts to smoke.
- Place the onion and ginger in the skillet with the cut sides facing down. Sear them for a few minutes until charred, then flip them over. Remove and set aside.
- Gently heat the spices in a dry pan over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes.
- Wash the bones and brisket, then place them in a large pot and cover with water.
- Bring to a boil for 5 minutes, then drain the water.
- Rinse each bone and brisket piece under running water.
- Clean the pot, then bring 3.5 liters (3.75 quarts) of water to a boil.
- Add the bones, brisket, onion, ginger, and spices to the pot.
- Include the onion, ginger, spices, sugar, and salt, ensuring everything is just submerged.
- Cover with a lid and let it simmer for 3 hours.
- Take out the brisket, which should be very tender, let it cool, and then refrigerate for later use.
- Continue simmering the soup uncovered for an additional 40 minutes.
- Strain the broth into a new pot, discarding the bones and spices. You should have around 2.5 liters (2.65 quarts); if there’s significantly more, reduce it.
- Add soy sauce and adjust the salt and sugar as needed. The broth should have a rich beef flavor, be aromatic with spices, savory, and slightly sweet.
- Cook the rice noodles according to the package instructions just before serving.
- Place the noodles in a bowl. Add raw beef slices and a few pieces of brisket on top.
- Pour approximately 400 ml (14 oz) of hot broth over the top, which will cook the beef to medium-rare.
- Serve with garnishes on the side!
Notes
- For a more robust flavor, roast the bones and brisket in the oven before adding them to the pot.
- Adjust the soy sauce quantity to suit your preferred level of saltiness.
- To clarify the broth, skim off any impurities that float to the surface while simmering.
