Phở
Vietnamese noodle soup with a clean, aromatic beef broth base.
For the broth (1 stockpot):
- 2 onions; 1 hand of ginger, bruised — All well-charred by flame or broiler and rinsed of blackened bits
- Beef bones (e.g. leg bones), some preferably with marrow
- Meat, in two categories:
- Stewed: Bone-in cuts with lots of connective tissue (e.g. beef shin, oxtail), cooked until tender and served in chunks
- Boiled: Boneless cuts that shouldn’t be overcooked (e.g. chuck, brisket), to be served sliced against the grain
- Spices, whole and toasted. In order of importance:
- 5 star anise pods
- 6 cloves
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 1 pod black cardamom
- Coriander seeds
- Fennel seeds
- Salt; yellow rock sugar (or white sugar); fish sauce; pinch of MSG
For the bowls:
- Rice noodles (fresh), soaked in hot water or parboiled
- Raw beef (e.g. flank, sirloin), thinly sliced. Easier to slice when very cold
- Meat and tendons from broth
- Any additional meat toppings (e.g. beef meatballs, tripe, etc.)
- White onions; green onions — both thinly sliced
- On the side: Bean sprouts; Thai basil; culantro; lime; hoisin sauce; sriracha sauce; etc.
To purify scum, cover bones (and optionally broth meat) in water and bring to a vigorous boil for a couple minutes. Dump water and rinse bones/meat clean. Simmer all broth ingredients for about 5 hours, but take the non-stewing meats out early after 1.5-2 hours and refrigerate covered under cold water to prevent drying out (or wrap in plastic after soaking in water). This meat will not be the most tender; added texture is the goal.
Strain broth. Pick out meat and anything else to serve, including tendons and bones with marrow. Maintain broth at a simmer, season, and reduce/dilute as necessary.
To serve, place noodles and toppings in a bowl and ladle in very hot broth.
Notes:
- Fennel tends to get stuck in meat crevices. If using, keep spices in a sachet.
- I like to freeze individual portions (without toppings). For one bowl:
- 480g broth
- Portioned stewed meat
- 100-130g noodles, frozen separately

