Vietnam / Bread
Phở Bò (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)
Along with phở gà, phở bò (Vietnamese beef noodle soup) could easily be called Vietnam's national dish. Most often served in the early morning, it is available on any street corner, everywhere in Vietnam, all day, and is a staple of most Vietnamese restaurants outside of the country. The broth is the star of this meal and can vary from North to South and is in some cases a closely guarded family secret. Experimenting with the ingredients is a must as long as they are traditionally South-East Asian in origin.
Ingredients
- onion, large white; quartered2 piece
- vegetable oil or peanut oil1 tbsp
- beef bones, choose bones with some meat attached5 lb
- ginger, small; chopped1 knob
- cinnamon stick, small1 stick
- cardamom, whole2 pod
- cloves, whole4 piece
- star anise1 pod
- whole black peppercorns1 tbsp
- rice noodles, pho noodles, thin and flat; soaked in hot water until soft and drained
- onion, white; finely sliced
- scallions, finely sliced
- coriander leaves, chopped
- sirloin steak, beef; finely sliced; ask your butcher
- chilli, whole
- bean sprouts
- lime, cut into wedges
- thai basil
- fish sauce, nước mắm
- hot sauce
- hoisin sauce
- black pepper
Quantities are auto-calculated from the original recipe as a guide. Items without numbers (e.g. “to taste”) are not changed.
Method 5 steps
Fry onions in oil until lightly browned. Remove and drain.
Rinse the beef bones, place in a stockpot, cover with cold water, and bring slowly to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10–15 minutes. For a clear broth skim off foam.
After this initial cooking, add cooked onions, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, cloves, garlic and peppercorns. Bring to a boil again and gently simmer the stock, partially covered, for a minimum of 6 hours but up to 12 hours if you can, skimming regularly. If necessary, add more water to keep the bones covered.
Strain stock to remove the vegetable and spices and discard them. Return the broth to the stove to keep it boiling hot.
In a large soup bowl, place a handful of cooked phở noodles, top with thinly sliced raw beef, and ladle on generous amounts of very hot broth, which will cook the raw beef. Garnish with sliced onions, scallions and coriander, and serve immediately.
