Vietnamese Pho Bo Recipes

PHO BO (VIETNAMESE BEEF-AND-NOODLE SOUP)

Steps:

• Soak rice noodles in hot water to cover.
• Meanwhile, combine stock, star anise, cinnamon, ginger, onion and cloves in saucepan; turn heat to high. When mixture boils, turn heat to low, and cover. Let cook, undisturbed, for 20 minutes to 1 hour, depending on how much time you have (the longer the cooking, the deeper the flavor). Strain, and return to saucepan; turn heat to medium.
• Bring pot of water to boil. Drain noodles, add them to pot, and boil for 30 seconds; drain well. Warm 4 large bowls by filling them with hot water; discard water. Divide noodles among bowls.
• Turn heat under soup to medium, and add beef; stir once, and then turn off heat. (The meat is traditionally left rare; if you want to cook it more, go ahead, but these slices will cook through in less than 2 minutes.) Add fish sauce or soy sauce and plenty of pepper to the soup. Taste, and add salt or more seasoning, if necessary.
• Top noodles with broth and meat, and then bring to the table. Serve, passing lime wedges, scallions, chilies and herbs at the table, so that everyone can add them to taste.

PHO BO: VIETNAMESE BEEF NOODLE SOUP

Steps:

• For the beef stock: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add the oxtails, neck bones, and shank bones. Return the water to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Drain into colander and rinse the bones thoroughly under cold running water. Rinse the pot and return the oxtails, neck bones, and shank bones to the pot. Add water, slowly bring to a simmer, and cook for at least 6 hours. Meanwhile, roast the onion and ginger on a rimmed baking sheet for 40 minutes.
• Add the roasted onion and ginger to the simmering stock, along with the cinnamon, star anise, clove, cardamom pod, pepper, and palm sugar. Add the beef brisket and cook for 30-45 minutes; remove and allow the stock to continue to simmer, skimming off any scum that rises to the top. After 6-8 hours, remove pot from the heat and use a slotted spoon to discard the large solids. Strain the stock into soup pot through a fine-mesh sieve. (Note: To store, let cool completely; then transfer to airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Makes 6 quarts.)
• For the soup: Thinly slice the top round and use the back of your knife to tenderize the meat slices; set aside. Slice the cooked brisket against the grain in thin slices; set aside. Blanch the bean sprouts in hot water; set aside. Season the stock with a few pinches of salt and fish sauce to taste.
• Warm a serving bowl in hot water. Place the dried rice noodles in fine-mesh sieve; submerge the sieve in hot water and gently stir with tongs, 5-10 seconds. Place the cooked noodles in the warmed serving bowl. Top with brisket; then add a few slices of the top round and some chopped scallions and cilantro. Ladle the hot broth into the bowl, being careful not to submerge the top round. Serve immediately, accompanied by optional garnishes.

AUTHENTIC VIETNAMESE BEEF PHO (PHO BO) RECIPE

Steps:

• Place the beef bones and the oxtail in a large stockpot. Add the water. The bones should be completely covered with water. If not, add more. Bring to a boil and let the the bones boil while you are preparing the rest of the ingredients.
• Cut two peeled onions in half. Char each half by holding it with tongs over open flame of a gas stove or place it under the broiler. This will bring out the aroma and deepen the flavor of the broth. Repeat the same with the ginger and set aside.
• In a small skillet, lightly toast, frequently stirring, the anise pods. cloves, peppercorns, and garlic for about 5 minutes, or until fragrant. Set aside to cool.
• Check on the boiling bones in the stockpot and skim off any scum that has accumulated.
• Add the toasted spices and garlic, charred onion and ginger, daikon, cinnamon stick, and shallots to the stock. Boil for 15 minutes, then bring down to a gentle simmer.
• Add the rock sugar (optional), fish sauce, salt, and stir well. Continue to simmer for 2½ hours, uncovered, periodically skimming off any scum or fat as they accumulate. The broth will be ready to eat after 2 1/2 hours, but the longer you simmer the better it will become. Continue simmering, covered, for up to 10-12 hours in total for the ultimate pho bo.
• When the broth is done cooking, remove the pot from the heat and set aside to cool a little. Remove the bones and oxtails and set aside. You can use the meat and the bone marrow in the soup. Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer into a new stockpot. The broth should be richly colored but clear. Bring the broth back to gentle simmer.
• Fill a large pot with hot tap water. Soak the rice noodles in the water for about 10 minutes. They should soften just slightly: the hot pho broth will cook them the rest of the way.
• Drain the noodles and place them in six individual soup bowls. Arrange the sliced raw beef on top, followed by thinly sliced onions and scallions.
• Slice the oxtail meat and add it to the bowl as well as any of the bits of meat and bone marrow taken from the bones.
• Pour the boiling hot broth into the soup bowls, making sure it covers the raw beef. The broth will cook the beef as well as the noodles. Give it a few minutes to do so, then serve with the pho garnish platter. A squeeze or two of lime juice will help cut the richness of the broth. The sauces can be added to the pho bo or used as a dipping sauce for beef. Using them as a dipping sauce will prevent from spoiling the wonderful flavor of the broth.

PHO BO (VIETNAMESE BEEF NOODLE SOUP)

Steps:

• Wrap ginger, anise, shallots and cinnamon in two layers of cheesecloth; tie with heavy cotton string.
• In a 10 qt pan, combine beef chuck, broth, 2 1/2 qts water, nouc mam sauce, sugar and spice bundle. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Uncover, reduce heat and simmer until beef is tender when pierced (1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours).
• With a slotted spoon, transfer meat to a freezer container and freeze overnight. Cool soup and then refridgerate overnight.
• The next day, take frozen beef chuck and thinly slice across the grain into 2 to 3 inch slices.
• Skim and discard fat from broth. Add 1/8 tsp salt and 2 tbsp Nouc Mam sauce. Bring broth back to boil.
• Arrange bean sprouts, chiles, basil, cilantro, and limes on a platter.
• Once broth boils, reduce to simmer. Immerse sliced sirloin in simmering broth (use wire strainer or skimmer) and cook just until brown on the outside but still pink in the center (30 seconds to 1 min). Lift out and set aside.
• Mound hot cooked rice noodles equally in deep bowls (at least 3 cup capacity). Top equally with beef chuck, sirloin, yellow onion and green onions.
• Ladle broth over noodles to cover generously.
• Serve Pho Bo with platter of condiments, hoisin sauce and chili paste adding to taste.

TRADITIONAL VIETNAMESE BEEF PHO RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Place the beef bones in a large stock pot, then add enough cold water to cover by 2 inches (5 cm). Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat and cook for 10 minutes to blanch the bones and remove any impurities.
• Set a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the broiler.
• Drain the bones in a colander and rinse under cold running water. Return the blanched bones to the stockpot.
• Meanwhile, arrange the ginger, garlic, and onions cut-side up on a rimmed baking sheet and broil on high until the aromatics are deeply charred in spots, 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and add to the stockpot with the bones.
• Meanwhile, combine the cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, and star anise in a medium skillet over medium-high heat and toast, shaking the pan occasionally, until the spices are darkened in spots and extremely fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the toasted spices to the stockpot.
• Season the brisket liberally with salt and add it to the stockpot.
• Fill the pot with enough cold water to cover everything by 1 inch (2 cm). Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium to maintain a gentle simmer, skimming off and discarding any fat that floats to the top as needed, until the brisket is fork-tender, 2-3 hours.
• Using tongs, transfer the brisket to a plate and let cool completely. Refrigerate the brisket until ready to serve.
• Continue to simmer the broth to get as much flavor out of the bones as possible, 3-4 hours more.
• Using tongs, remove and discard the bones and aromatics. Slowly strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer set over a large pot. Skim and discard the fat from the broth, then stir in the fish sauce. Taste and add more as desired.
• Thinly slice the brisket. Very thinly slice the raw sirloin steak against the grain.
• Divide the noodles among 6-8 large bowls, then top with the brisket and raw steak. Ladle the hot broth over the noodles and meat and serve immediately with the bean sprouts, onion, jalapeño, Thai basil, lime wedges, hoisin sauce, and Sriracha alongside.
• Enjoy!

VIETNAMESE PHO BO

Steps:

• Place onions, stock, fish sauce, ginger and star anise in a large pan and bring to the boil over a high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
• Place bean sprouts and beef into serving bowls and pour over hot stock.
• Serve topped with coriander and Vietnamese mint, with extra sprouts, herbs and lime wedges on the side.

FAUX PHO BO (VIETNAMESE BEEF NOODLE SOUP)

Steps:

• In a 6 quart stockpot, combine broth, onion, ginger, lemongrass, cinnamon, and peppercorns (tie the seasonings loosely in cheesecloth for easier removal). Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, prepare rice noodles and garnishes.
• Arrange bean sprouts, basil, cilantro, chilies, and limes on a large platter.
• To prepare rice noodles, bring 4-6 quarts of water to a boil. Add rice noodles and stir to separate. Cook until just barely tender, about 2-3 minutes. Drain well. If not quite ready to serve, rinse noodles and drain again.
• To serve, remove seasonings (except onions) from broth; keep broth hot.
• Place ½ cup rice noodles in each of 6 large, deep bowls.
• Arrange thinly sliced beef over noodles, fanning out to increase surface area. Ladle very hot broth over beef and stir to cook.
• Serve immediately. Pass garnish platter, hoisin sauce, fish sauce, and sambal oelek or sriracha sauce for people to add as desired.