Pho Recipe

What is Pho?

Pho is a Vietnamese beef noodle soup dish that has light but flavorful broth, top with delicious tender beef cuts, marrow, spices and vegetables.

Pho Ingredients

These portions will make approximately 3.5 to 4 quarts of broth, roughly 6 servings

• 3 lb brisket
• 2 lb meaty beef bones; oxtail, or any beef bones
• 2 lb bone marrow
• 6 quarts of water
• 2-3 onions, cut in half
• 1 whole ginger
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
• 5 star anise
• 5 cloves
• 1 black cardamon pod
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 cup fish sauce
• 1 piece of yellow rock sugar
• Rice noodles

Instructions:

1. Into a large pot that holds at least 10 quarts of water, add all of the beef bones and cover it with water. Bring to a boil and scoop out all impurities and foam. Do this for about 5 minutes then take out the bones and drain the water. Clean the bones afterwards. After that, add the bones back into the pot, and cover it with 6 quarts of water.
2. Char the onions and ginger over fire, or toast the onion and ginger until charred or browned on all sides.
3. Toast all of your spices; cinnamon sticks, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, star anise, cloves, and black cardamon pod until fragrant. Place them inside an herb bag or cheesecloth afterwards.
4. Bring the pot with the bones to a boil and bring the heat down into a simmer. Add the charred onions, ginger and the spices. Add 1 tablespoon of salt, 1/2 of fish sauce, and the rock sugar. Simmer the broth for at least 3 hours, and remember to remove impurities. If you cleaned the bones correctly, there shouldn't be much impurities or little to none.
5. After simmering the broth for at least 3 hours, remove the onions, ginger, and spices. Then strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer into another pot.

Assembly:

1. Before serving, skim the flat on top of the broth.
2. Bring the broth to a boil.
3. Cook your rice noodles until soft, then strain it dry
4. Place your rice noodle servings into a bowl, and pour the beef broth into the bowl, as much as you like.
5. Top the bowl of noodles with mushroom sprouts, Thai chilies, coriander, mint leaves, Hoisin and Sriracha. Or anything you like.