There are almost as many pho (Vietnamese noodle soup, pronounced “fuh”) places as there are coffee places in Seattle, so needless to say, people here like their pho. On a rainy winter day, few things are as appealing as a hot bowl of sweet and spicy noodle soup. With the record-breaking rainy weather we have been having here, I decided to make my own pho to satisfy my craving.
Although the recipe takes a little while to put together and requires a few non-standard pantry items, it is well worth the effort.
Pho
Broth
1 onion, halved
2″ piece of ginger, halved lengthwise
2-3 lbs of beef bones, preferably leg and knuckle
3 quarts of water
1/2 cinnamon stick
1/2 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 tbsp fennel seeds
2 whole star anise
1 cardamom pod
3 whole cloves
3/4 tbsp salt
2 tbsp fish sauce
3 tsp sugar
The Fixin’s
1 lb rice noodles
1/2 lb flank steak, london broil, sirloin or eye of round, sliced as thin as possible
4-5 basil stems
1 lime, cut into wedges
1 jalapeno, sliced
2 big handfuls of bean sprouts
Preparation
1. Turn your broiler on high and move rack to the highest spot. Place ginger and onions on baking sheet. Brush just a bit of cooking oil on the cut side of each. Broil on high until ginger and onions begin to char. Turn over and continue to char. This should take a total of 10-15 minutes.
2. Fill large pot with water. Bring the water to a boil, then add the bones, keeping the heat on high. Boil vigorously for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse the bones and rinse out the pot. Refill pot with the bones and the 3 qts of cool water. Bring to boil over high heat and lower to simmer. Using a ladle or a fine mesh strainer, remove any scum that rises to the top.
3. Place the cinnamon stick, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, star anise, cardamom pod and the cloves into a mesh spice bag.
4. Add ginger, onion, spice bag, sugar, fish sauce, salt and simmer uncovered for 2 – 3 hours. Strain broth and return the broth to the pot. Taste broth and adjust seasoning – If the broth isn’t flavorful enough yet, add 1 teaspoon more of fish sauce, a large pinch of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. Keep doing this until the broth tastes perfect.
5. Slice your flank/london broil/sirloin as thin as possible – freeze for 15 minutes prior to slicing to make it easier. Arrange all other ingredients on a platter for the table. Your guests will assemble their own bowls. Follow the directions on your package of rice noodles.
6. Bring your broth back to a boil. Line up your soup bowls next to the stove. Fill each bowl with rice noodles and raw meat slices. As soon as the broth comes back to a boil, ladle into each bowl. The hot broth will cook your raw beef slices. Serve immediately. Guests can garnish their own bowls as they wish with the bean sprouts, lime wedges, basil and jalapeno slices.
Tips
- For people without my crazy food allergies, add a bit of hoisin sauce and Sriracha hot sauce for added flavor.
