Authentic beef pho noodles

The Muddled Pantry
6 servings Prep: 20 mins, Cooking: 4 hrs
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Utterly delicious and aromatic beef broth, rice noodles and herbs.

By Food24 January 21 2015
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Ingredients (27)

BROTH:
2 onion — brown
fresh ginger — knob, unpeeled
1 daikon — peeled, diced
5 star anise
2 Tbs coriander seeds — whole
8 cardamom — pods, green
2 cherries — black, pods
6 cloves — whole
1 tsp black peppercorns — whole
1 cinnamon — large stick
1 Tbs salt
1 Tbs white sugar
fish sauce
2 kg beef — chuck or brisket
oxtail
marrow bones — beef soup bones
NOODLES:
noodles — rice
500 g beef fillet — par-frozen and thinly sliced
1 onion — thinly sliced
3 spring onions — thinly sliced on the diagonal
ESSENTIAL TOPPINGS:
mixed bean sprouts
lime — cut into wedges
fresh herbs — Asian selection
white pepper — ground
OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:
red chilli — bird's eye, sliced
hoisin sauce
chilli sauce — hot
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Method:

Add the soup bones to a large stockpot (10 litre capacity). Cover with cold water and bring to a rapid boil. Boil vigorously for 5 minutes, allowing the bones to release any impurities. Drain the bones and rinse clean under fresh water. Clean out the stockpot and then return the bones to the pot.

Place all the aromatics for the broth into a spice bag or piece of cheesecloth secured with some string (you can break the cinnamon stick into pieces) and add to the stockpot.

Char the onions and ginger using an open flame (or under a grill if necessary) allowing the skin to burn. The onions and ginger do not have to be completely burnt, just scorched. Add to the stockpot along with all the rest of the broth ingredients.

Add enough water to cover the meat and other ingredients completely (about 8 litres). Bring to a boil and simmer for at least 4 hours (the longer the better).

After 4 hours, strain the broth and set aside. I like to strain the broth through a sieve, lined with a some cheesecloth, to remove any impurities. Remove the meat  – discard all the other ingredients. Cover the reserved beef with cold water and allow to cool down for 10 minutes (this will stop it browning). Wrap the cooled meat in cling wrap and store in the refrigerator.

Check the broth for seasoning, add to taste.
Keep the broth overnight in the refrigerator

Assembling the Pho:

Remove your broth from the refrigerator and skim off any fat that has solidified on the surface.
Prep all your toppings.
Cut up the reserved beef and add to your prepared toppings.
Boil some water and add to your serving bowls.
Bring your beef broth to a furious boil.
Cook the dried rice noodles according to the pack. If using fresh, briefly blanch them in some boiling water.
Discard water from the serving bowls and add the cooked noodles.
Place some of the reserved beef on top of the noodles. Add some of the thinly slice onion, green spring onions and then top with the thinly sliced sirloin/fillet.
Ladle the boiling stock over the beef, add a dash of white pepper and serve immediately.

How to eat:

Add the fresh herbs and bean sprouts to the noodles as you want them, letting the hot broth soften them. Add the chilli and hoisin sauces to taste. Add the sliced bird’s eye chillies if you can handle the heat.

Recipe reprinted with permission of The Muddled Pantry.     
   



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