Phở (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)

12 Sep 2014

This is definitely the most representative dish of Vietnamese cuisine in the US. This dish originated in early 20^th century in Northern Vietnam southeast of Hanoi in Nam Định Province. It was originally sold by vendors at dawn and dusk in on mobile kitchen in carrying poles (gánh phở). This might be the pre-food-truck era!!

As much as I love this dish, I always feel drowsy and super thirsty whenever I come back from an indulgence of this beef soup. After hearing a friend who used to own a phở restaurant in the US commented that “All phở restaurants use MSG”, I am determined to make a non-MSG home cooked phở that shall taste just as good as the restaurant MSG version. However, having spent a load sum of $$ on organic beef bones from Whole Foods and the many hours simmering this wonderful stock, I can understand the economic ‘reasoning’ behind good tasting MSG phở at restaurants. Nevertheless, if you are going to eat and cook at home, you deserve all the best and here is a version that will make you drink up every drop of that delicious broth and feel good about it!! good quality thinly sliced beef

Ingredients

• 1 small onion very thinly sliced and pre-soaked in water
• 1 bag of the rice sticks

Phở Broth

• 7 pounds of beef knuckles or leg bones (with marrow)
• beef tendons
• 6 quarts cold water
• 3 shallots, halved
• 4-inch piece of fresh ginger, halved lengthwise
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 6 star anise
• 1¹⁄₂ tablespoons salt
• ¹⁄₄ cup fish sauce
• 1-inch piece (~20 g) yellow rock sugar
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
• 6 whole cloves (optional)

Yield: Beef Stock serves 6-7 adults

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, thinly slice small onion and soak in salt cold water for 30 min to remove the pungent taste.
2. Char shallots and ginger by halving shallots and ginger and placing them on a baking sheet and boil on high. Turn shallots and ginger occasionally so that they become charred or browned on all sides.
3. Parboil Bones by placing beef bones and beef tendon (and any other meat) in a large pot that will hold at least 10 quarts. Then, cover bones with cold water. Place pot onto high heat and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 to 5 minutes. During this time, impurities and foam (or scum) will be released and rise to the top. Drain bones, discarding the water. Then, rinse bones with warm water and scrub stockpot to remove any residue that has stuck to the sides.
4. In a pan, toast the spice (cinnamon sticks, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, star anise, cloves) in a dry frying pan. Place onto low heat and cook, stirring occasionally until fragrant. About 5 minutes. Place toasted spices into a cotton bag/herb sachet or cheesecloth then tie with butchers twine to seal.
5. Put the parboiled bones, tendon and meat into the stockpot, add water and charred shallots/ginger. Bring the stock to a boil then lower to a gentle rolling simmer for 7 hours. After 1st hour, remove the meat first and continue with the rest of the stock.
6. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of salt, a 1/4 cup of fish sauce and the rock sugar as well as the bag of toasted spices. Simmer for another 1 hours.
7. Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer to remove the bones, onions and ginger so that you are left with a very clear broth. Be sure to skim off the very thick layer of fat at the top of the soup.
8. To server noodle soup, cook banh phở (rice noodle sticks) and make sure to rinse in water to remove any stickiness, but noodle needs to be hot. Serve with onion, the shabu-shabu style thinly sliced raw beef, or any thinly sliced meat (that you cooked) across the grain. Cilantro, Thai Basil Leaves, Bean Sprouts, Chili, Lime.
9. Use good quality shabu-shabu style wagyu meat that you can buy from Japanese supermarket (Marukai has excellent wagyu meat if you live in SF Bay Area).