Beef Pho
Posted on 26 Jan 2013Pho (or phở) is a brothy Vietnamese noodle dish usually made from beef or chicken and it’s really really worth the effort to make. Pho is definitely on the list for my theoretical last meal.
This recipe is for a beef pho and some of the ingredients may seem daunting or unusual but they’re really not and they’re easy to find: check an asian section of your local grocery or visit an asian-specific grocer.
Broth Ingredients
| Amount | Ingredient | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 litres | beef stock | — |
| 1 thumb-sized piece (~5 cm) | ginger | crushed |
| 2 sticks | cinnamon | — |
| 1 tablespoon | coriandre seeds | — |
| 1 whole | black cardamom pod | — |
| 8 whole | cloves | — |
| 8 whole | black peppercorns | — |
| 8 whole | star anise pods | — |
| 1 bunch | fresh cilantro | — |
| 3 tablespoons | fish sauce | a crucial ingredient, smells foul but tastes great |
| 1 chunk | rock sugar | — |
Serving Ingredients
| Amount | Ingredient | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 kg | raw beef sirloin | sliced thinly |
| 1 kg | leftover cooked beef sirloin | sliced or shredded |
| 3 cups | cooked rice noodles | such as vermicelli |
| ½ | white or red onion | thinly sliced |
Garnishes
A multitude of garnishes is recommended, if not necessary, such as most of the following. Many of them will better your pho experience as they all compliment the broth well.
| Amount | Ingredient | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| a couple | limes | cut into wedges |
| a few | Thai or green chilies | thinly sliced |
| a bunch | scallions (green onions) | sliced thinly |
| a bunch | Thai basil | you can substitute regular basil |
| a bunch | fresh cilantro | leaves only |
| a bunch | bean sprouts | for crunch |
| a bottle | sesame oil | for drizzling |
| a bottle | hoisin sauce | for sweetness |
| a bottle | sriracha | for additional heat |
Making the Pho
- Gather together all the flavouring agents for the broth: the ginger, cinnamon, coriandre seeds, cardamom, cloves, black peppercorns, star anise, cilantro, fish sauce & rock sugar.
- Bring the beef stock to a rolling boil in a large pot then add all the flavouring agents to the stock, cover and reduce to a simmer for an hour or .
- Slice your meat(s) –freezing the raw sirlion solid will make it much easier to slice thinly. It’s important to slice the meat very thin, as the thinner it is the quicker it’ll cook in hot broth.
- When the broth is complete serve hot over the rice noodles and a combination of raw and/or cooked meat. Then pick and choose your garnishes.
- Varying which garnishes you choose will change the overall flavour of the soup, so play around with them in your inevitable multiple servings.
