PHO BO (VIETNAMESE BEEF NOODLE SOUP)
4 or 5 servings
Asian markets often sell thinly sliced round steak for adding to hot pots and pho. If you cannot find it, buy a portion of eye-of-round roast and slice it yourself with a very sharp knife. The meat is easier to slice thinly if placed in the freezer for 20 minutes beforehand.
I. Place in a large soup pot:
- 2 ½ pounds meaty beef bones
- 2 ½ pounds oxtails, cut into 2-inch pieces
Add water to cover and bring just to a rolling boil, then drain the liquid from the pot into the sink. Rinse out any scum from the pot and rinse the bones. Return the bones to the pot, then add:
- 14 cups water
- 1 pound beef brisket, trimmed of excess fat
- (¼ cup dried shrimp)
- 4 whole star anise
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar or one ½-inch piece Chinese rock sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- (1 Chinese black cardamom pod, crushed)
Bring to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, in a dry skillet over medium-high heat, or with long metal tongs over an open flame, char:
- One 3-inch piece ginger, unpeeled
- 1 large unpeeled onion, quartered through the stem, or 12 ounces unpeeled shallots, halved
When the pieces are blackened all over, transfer to a plate. Once cool, peel the charred skin off the ginger and onions or shallots, coarsely chop them, and add to the soup pot. When the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat, partially cover, and simmer for 3 hours, occasionally skimming off any scum for the first hour. If desired, halfway through cooking, add:
- (12 ounces honeycomb tripe, prepared and sliced into shreds)
Thirty minutes before serving, soak in hot water to cover:
- 12 ounces dried rice stick noodles (banh pho)
Mound the following garnishes on a plate:
- 2 cups mung bean sprouts
- 5 bushy sprigs basil, preferably the purplish Thai variety
- 10 sprigs cilantro or culantro leaves
- 2 limes, quartered
- 3 serrano or 2 jalapeño peppers, thinly sliced
When ready to serve, strain the broth and discard the bones. Skim any excess fat from the broth and transfer to a stock pot or large saucepan. Thinly slice the brisket. Bring the broth to a boil over high heat. Divide the soaked noodles and brisket among 4 or 5 heated soup bowls. Divide among the bowls:
- 12 ounces raw eye-of-round steak, very thinly sliced
- 1 small onion, very thinly sliced, or 5 green onions, sliced on the diagonal
Fill each bowl with boiling broth and serve. Place the garnishes in the center of the table (tear the herb leaves before adding to the soup for the most fragrance). Each diner should season their own bowl to taste with:
- Fish sauce
- Hoisin sauce
- Sriracha
- (Thai fried chili paste)
Before proceeding, be sure your pressure cooker has a 10-quart capacity. Prepare the soup as directed above, using the pressure cooker instead of a pot. After adding the charred ginger and onion to the pot, place the lid on the pressure cooker and bring up to high pressure. Cook for 1 ½ hours, then use the quick-release method to release the pressure. If using the optional tripe, after 45 minutes of cooking use the quick-release method to release the pressure, open the pressure cooker, and add the tripe. Place the lid back on the pressure cooker and bring back to high pressure to cook 45 minutes more. Proceed as directed.