Beef noodle soup (pho bo) Makes 8 satisfying (American-sized) bowls For the broth: 2 medium yellow onions (about 1 pound total) 4-inch piece ginger (about 4 ounces) 5-6 pounds beef soup bones (marrow and knuckle bones) 5 star anise (40 star points total) 6 whole cloves 3-inch cinnamon stick 1 pound piece of beef chuck, rump, brisket or cross rib roast, cut into 2-by-4-inch pieces (weight after trimming) 1 1/2 tablespoons salt 4 tablespoons fish sauce 1 ounce (1-inch chunk) yellow rock sugar (duong phen; see Note) For the bowls: 1 1/2-2 pounds small (1/8-inch wide) dried or fresh banh pho noodles ("rice sticks'' or Thai chantaboon) 1/2 pound raw eye of round, sirloin, London broil or tri-tip steak, thinly sliced across the grain (1/16 inch thick; freeze for 15 minutes to make it easier to slice) 1 medium yellow onion, sliced paper-thin, left to soak for 30 minutes in a bowl of cold water 3 or 4 scallions, green part only, cut into thin rings 1/3 cup chopped cilantro (ngo) Ground black pepper Optional garnishes arranged on a plate and placed at the table: Sprigs of spearmint (hung lui) and Asian/Thai basil (hung que) Leaves of thorny cilantro (ngo gai) Bean sprouts (about 1/2 pound) Red hot chiles (such as Thai bird or dragon), thinly sliced Lime wedges Prepare the broth: Char onion and ginger. Use an open flame on grill or gas stove. Place onions and ginger on cooking grate and let skin burn. (If using stove, turn on exhaust fan and open a window.) After about 15 minutes, they will soften and become sweetly fragrant. Use tongs to occasionally rotate them and to grab and discard any flyaway onion skin. You do not have to blacken entire surface, just enough to slightly cook onion and ginger. Let cool. Under warm water, remove charred onion skin; trim and discard blackened parts of root or stem ends. If ginger skin is puckered and blistered, smash ginger with flat side of knife to loosen flesh from skin. Otherwise, use sharp paring knife to remove skin, running ginger under warm water to wash off blackened bits. Set aside. Parboil bones. Place bones in stockpot (minimum 12-quart capacity) and cover with cold water. Over high heat, bring to boil. Boil vigorously 2 to 3 minutes to allow impurities to be released. Dump bones and water into sink and rinse bones with warm water. Quickly scrub stockpot to remove any residue. Return bones to pot. Simmer broth. Add 6 quarts water to pot, bring to boil over high heat, then lower flame to gently simmer. Use ladle to skim any scum that rises to surface. Add remaining broth ingredients and cook 1 1/2 hours. Boneless meat should be slightly chewy but not tough. When it is cooked to your liking, remove it and place in bowl of cold water for 10 minutes; this prevents the meat from drying up and turning dark as it cools. Drain the meat; cool, then refrigerate. Allow broth to continue cooking; in total, the broth should simmer 3 hours. Strain broth through fine strainer. If desired, remove any bits of gelatinous tendon from bones to add to your pho bowl. Store tendon with cooked beef. Discard solids. Use ladle to skim as much fat from top of broth as you like. (Cool it and refrigerate it overnight to make this task easier; reheat befofe continuing.) Taste and adjust flavor with additional salt, fish sauce and yellow rock sugar. The broth should taste slightly too strong because the noodles and other ingredients are not salted. (If you've gone too far, add water to dilute.) Makes about 4 quarts. Assemble bowls: The key is to be organized and have everything ready to go. Thinly slice cooked meat. For best results, make sure it's cold. Heat broth and ready noodles. To ensure good timing, reheat broth over medium flame as you're assembling bowls. If you're using dried noodles, cover with hot tap water and soak 15-20 minutes, until softened and opaque white. Drain in colander. For fresh rice noodles, just untangle and briefly rinse in a colander with cold water. Blanch noodles. Fill 3- or 4-quart saucepan with water and bring to boil. For each bowl, use long-handle strainer to blanch a portion of noodles. As soon as noodles have collapsed and lost their stiffness (10-20 seconds), pull strainer from water, letting water drain back into saucepan. Empty noodles into bowls. Noodles should occupy 1/4 to 1/3 of bowl; the latter is for noodle lovers, while the former is for those who prize broth. If desired, after blanching noodles, blanch bean sprouts for 30 seconds in same saucepan. They should slightly wilt but retain some crunch. Drain and add to the garnish plate. Add other ingredients. Place slices of cooked meat, raw meat and tendon (if using) atop noodles. (If your cooked meat is not at room temperature, blanch slices for few seconds in hot water from above.) Garnish with onion, scallion and chopped cilantro. Finish with black pepper. Ladle in broth and serve. Bring broth to rolling boil. Check seasoning. Ladle broth into each bowl, distributing hot liquid evenly so as to cook raw beef and warm other ingredients. Serve with garnish plate. Note: Yellow rock sugar (a.k.a. lump sugar) is sold in one-pound boxes at Chinese and Southeast Asian markets. Break up large chunks with hammer. Variations: If you want to replicate the splendorous options available at pho shops, head to the butcher counter at a Vietnamese or Chinese market. There you'll find white cords of gan (beef tendon) and thin pieces of nam (outside flank, not flank steak). While tendon requires no preparation prior to cooking, nam should be rolled and tied with string for easy handling. Simmer it and the beef tendon in the cooking broth for two hours, or until chewy-tender. Airy book tripe (sach) is already cooked when you buy it. Before using, wash and gently squeeze it dry. Slice it thinly to make fringe-like pieces to be added to the bowl during assembly. For beef meatballs (bo vien), purchase them in Asian markets in the refrigerator case; they are already precooked. Slice each one in half and drop into broth to heat through. When you're ready to serve, ladle them out with the broth to top each bowl. Andrea Q. Nguyen Posted Wed, June 9, 2004, copyright San Jose Mercury News -------------------------------------------------- VIETNAMESE PHO Recipe By : Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Soups Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 5 lb Beef bones with marrow 5 lb Oxtails 1 lb Flank steak 2 lg Onions -- unpeeled, halved, -and studded with 8 cloves 3 Shallots -- unpeeled 2 oz Piece ginger -- unpeeled 8 Star anise 1 Cinnamon stick 4 md Parsnips cut in 2-inch -chunks 2 ts Salt 1 lb Beef sirloin 2 Scallions -- thinly sliced 1 tb Cilantro -- chopped 2 md Onions -- thinly sliced 1/4 c Hot chili sauce 1 lb Rice noodles 1/4-inch wide -(or banh pho) 1/2 c Nuoc mam (Vietnamese fish -sauce) Black pepper -- freshly grnd. 2 c Fresh bean sprouts 2 Fresh chili peppers -- sliced 2 Limes cut in wedges 1 bn Fresh mint 1 bn Fresh Asian or regular basil Soak bone overnight in cold water. Place bones, oxtails and flank steak in a large stock pot. Add water to cover and bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes, drain and rinse pot and bones. Return bones to pot, add 6 quarts water and bring to a boil. Skim surface of scum and fat. Stir bones at bottom from time to time. Add 3 more quarts water, bring to a boil again and skim scum. Lower heat and let simmer. Char clove-studded onions, shallots, and ginger under a broiler until they release their fragrant odors. Tie charred vegetables, star anise, and cinnamon stick in a thick, dampened cheesecloth. Put it in stock with parsnips and salt. Simmer for 1 hour. Remove flank steak and continue simmering broth, uncovered pot, for 4-5 hours. Add more water if level goes below bones. Meanwhile, slice beef sirloin against grain into paper-thin slices, about 2-by-2 inches. Slice flank steak the same way. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine scallions, cilantro, and half the sliced onions. Place remaining onions in another bowl and mix in hot chili sauce. Soak rice noodles in warm water for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside. When broth is ready, discard bones. Strain broth through a colander lined with a double layer of damp cheesecloth into a clean pot. Add fish sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. In another pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add noodles and drain immediately. Do not overcook noodles. Divide among 4 large soup bowls. Top noodles with sliced meats. Bring broth to a rolling boil, then ladle into soup bowls. Garnish with scallions mixture and black pepper. Serve the onions in hot chili sauce and remaining ingredients on the side to add as desired. Also, you can add Hoisin sauce as a dip. Serves 4. ------------------------------ Faux Pho Bo (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup) Recipe #1656381 rating This is an easy version that starts with canned beef broth. Some of the ingredients may be hard for people in some parts of the world to find--I live in an area with a large Asian population so I've never had any trouble myself. Be careful when using the sriracha or sambal oelek, as they are very hot. Fish sauce, to the uninitiated, smells really awful--but it doesn't taste like it smells. Once you've added it to your soup, you won't smell it nearly so strongly and it adds a pleasant, salty, seafood-y flavor to your food. by Halcyon Eve | Edit...My Notes 6 servings 1½ hours 30 min prep Change to: servings US Metric 4 quarts fat free low-sodium beef broth 1 large onion, sliced into paper-thin rings 6 slices peeled fresh gingerroot (about the size of quarters) 1 stalk lemongrass, cleaned, leaves removed (do not substitute lemon zest or juice(the flavor is not at all the same) 1 small piece cinnamon stick (I use broken pieces of stick cinnamon, about 1 tsp total) 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns 1 lb beef sirloin tip, cut into very thin slices (ask the butcher to slice it paper thin(I like to buy beef for sukiyaki at the Oriental market) 1/2 lb fresh bean sprouts, rinsed and drained 1 cup fresh Thai basil, rinsed and dried 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, rinsed and dried (coriander) 2 limes, cut into wedges 1/2-1 lb flat rice noodles (I prefer noodles about 1/4 inch wide) sambal oelek (optional) or sriracha sauce (optional) thinly sliced serrano peppers (optional) or jalapeno chiles (optional) fish sauce (nam pla) (optional) hoisin sauce (optional) 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 and sauces for people to add as desired. --------------------------- Pho Bo (Beef Noodle Soup) Recipe #208786 Homemade pho. Great for cold weather :P by swirlycinnacakes | Edit...My Notes Requires Premium MembershipMy Notes ONLY YOU see your private notes, and they print with the recipe. 4 servings 2½ hours 25 min prep Change to: servings US Metric Beef Broth 3 lbs beef bones (ask your butcher to cut them into manageable pieces) 1 1/2 lbs beef short ribs or beef brisket 16 cups water (4 quarts) 1 large yellow onion, peeled and quartered 6-8 cloves, whole 1 cinnamon stick 2 tablespoons salt 1/4 cup fish sauce 2 tablespoons sugar thinly sliced raw sirloin beef, if desired (optional) Noodles 1 lb rice noodles, uncooked (Banh Pho, small size) boiling water Bring water to a simmer, add bones and beef, simmer with onion, ginger, fish sauce and sugar for 1.5 to 2 hours. Strain foam and fat frequently, but be careful to not stir too much as you don't want to cloud the broth. Remove brisket/short ribs; shred meat and set aside for service. Add anise, cloves and cinnamon stick in a cheesecloth or spice bag. Simmer broth with spices for another 30-45 minutes. Remove spice bag, onion and ginger. Strain broth well, keep boiling hot. Cook noodles in boiling water, stirring with chopsticks or spoon to keep from clumping, just until soft (about 45-60 seconds). Remove from water, place in bowl. Top with cooked beef, thin slices of rare beef, cilantro and green onions if desired. Mix noodles in broth. ---------------------------- Ingredients: Beef Broth: 1 small onion, chopped 1 2-inch stick ginger 2 pounds beef bones 12 cups water 6 star anise 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sugar 1 pound lean, tender beef Noodles: 1 16-ounce package dry, flat rice noodles (pho) Garnish: 3 scallions, thinly sliced 1 large onion, thinly sliced 10 cilantro sprigs, finely chopped 1 cup bean sprouts 10 sprigs basil 10 sprigs fresh culantro (ngo gai) fresh red or green chile pepper, thinly sliced Accompaniments lime or lemon quarters fish sauce hoisin sauce hot chile sauce Preparation: Broil onion and ginger until they look burned. Using back of cleaver, smash the ginger and set aside. Wash beef bones, place in a large soup pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil and immediately pour off this "first boiling" water and discard. Add another 12 cups of fresh water and again bring to a boil. Skim off foam. Add the broiled onion and ginger, star anise, salt and sugar. Over medium-low heat, simmer for 30 minutes. Slice raw beef into thin strips and set aside. Remove bones from broth and strain out vegetables and seasonings. Soak noodles in cold water for 10 minutes. Drain. In a soup pot bring two quarts fresh water to a boil. Add drained noodles and cook seven minutes at a rolling boil, stirring occasionally until noodles are tender. Rinse noodles under cold running water and set aside. Return the broth to a boil over high heat. To serve: Divide noodles among 4 to 6 large individual serving bowls. Arrange thinly sliced raw beef, scallions, onion, and cilantro on top. Pour boiling hot broth to cover noodles and serve immediately. The boiling broth will cook the thin slices of beef. Pho is always accompanied by bean sprouts, basil leaves, culantro and chile pepper. Serve with lime and lemon quarters, fish sauce, hoisin sauce and hot chile sauce. Serves 4 to 6. *Culantro is a leafy herb with a similar aroma to cilantro, although more pungent. If unavailable, increase the amount of cilantro or simply leave out. Recipe Reprinted from The Vietnamese Cookbook, by Diana My Tran. -------------------------------