Pho

4/1/2025

Pho

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 2 hours

Description

Pho is a cherished traditional Vietnamese soup, famous for its savory broth, soft rice noodles, and hearty toppings of prime beef cuts or chicken. Add in a pile of fresh herbs, chili, lime, and other aromatics, and it’s a multi-dimensional, interactive meal that gets better with every bite.

Ingredients

Optional Ingredients

Estimated Time

Instructions

  1. Put the beef bones in a pot, cover with cold water, and bring to the boil to clean the bones. Drain, rinse the bones, and clean the pot.
  2. Char the onion and ginger until the skin is blackened. You can do this over an open flame or in the oven under broil. This will remove the pungency of the onion and ginger, leaving only the sweetness.
  3. In the same pot, add the clean beef bones, charred onion, ginger, star anise, cinnamon sticks, cloves, black cardamom, and water.
  4. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook for 2 hours. Remember to skim off the impurities that rise to the surface from time to time.
  5. Meanwhile, prepare the rice noodles according to the instructions on the package, then drain and set aside.
  6. Season the beef sirloin with salt and pepper, then thinly slice it. Keep it in the fridge until it’s time to serve.
  7. Once the broth is ready, season it with more salt if needed. Then strain out the solids so that you are left with a clear, fragrant broth.
  8. To serve, place a portion of the noodles in a bowl, add raw beef slices on top, then ladle the hot broth over the meat and noodles. The heat from the broth will cook the thinly sliced meat.
  9. Garnish with fresh herbs, red chili, and lime wedges. If using the optional ingredients, add fish sauce, hoisin sauce, and / or bean sprouts as desired.

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