Recipes

Pho is a Vietnamese traditional dish, we used to have Pho for breakfast but nowadays people also have it for lunch and dinner. In Vietnam, we can find Pho restaurants everywhere in any city, any province. No matter where we find it, there are only two styles of Pho, The North Pho and The South Pho. Today, I would like to share The South Pho recipe with you.

Preparation and cooking time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Serves: 2 people.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large white onion, peeled and halved
• 150 grams ginger, sliced
• 3 star anise
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 teaspoon cardamom pods
• 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• ½ teaspoon allspice
• 2.5 litres drinking water
• 1 tablespoon rock sugar
• 1 tablespoons fish sauce
• salt to taste
• 500 grams raw steak
• 1 kilogram beef marrow bones
• 200 grams Pho noodles
• Fresh herbs (cilantro, Thai basil), bean sprouts, lime wedges, thinly sliced-chilis, thinly sliced-white onion, chopped green onion, hoisin sauce, chili sauce.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Aromatics:

1. Heat a heavy based skillet over high heat until smoked
2. Place white onion and ginger in the skillet cut side down. Cook for a few minutes until they are charred, then turn. Remove and set aside.
3. Toast star anises, whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, coriander seeds, fennel seeds and allspices in a dry skillet over medium high heat for about 3 minutes.

Prepare raw steak and beef bones:

1. Rinse bones and steak then cover with water in a large stock pot.
2. Boil for 5 minutes, then drain.
3. Rinse bones and steak under tap water.

Broth:

1. With the same pot, bring 2.5 litres drinking water to boil.
2. Add bones and steak, white onion, ginger, a cloth bag (that contains star anises, whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, coriander seeds, fennel seeds and allspices), rock sugar and salt.
3. Cover with lid, simmer for 1.5 hour.
4. Remove the steak (should be fall-apart tender), wait until the steak cools down then refrigerate for later.
5. Simmer the soup for another 30 minutes.
6. Strain broth into another pot, discard bones and onions, gingers, spice bag. Should be about 2 litres.
7. Add fish sauce, adjust salt and sugar if needed. Broth should be beefy, fragrant with spices, savory and barely sweet.

Assemble:

1. Prepare the Pho noodles by boiling with water, drain the noodles.
2. Place noodles in bowls. Top with sliced steaks.
3. Add the broth in the bowls.
4. Serve with herbs, slice white onions, chopped green onions, bean sprouts as toppings.
5. Lime, chilis to taste, hoisin, and chili sauce as dipping sauce for the meat.