‘Tis the season for bone-warming comfort food. Pho bo, or beef noodle soup, carries all the rich intensity of a hefty French beef broth, but pivots and almost leaps with bright flavors of Vietnamese cuisine. It encapsulates the flavors of French onion soup, but instead of gooey, molten cheese, steaming broth is flavored with warm notes of cinnamon and star anise.
Brilliant pho starts with rich broth that is best made at home. We simmer beef bones (beef neck bones and knuckles are much cheaper than oxtail or leg bones) several hours and often overnight. If the stock gets too concentrated and you aren’t ready to strain, just add more water.
Pho is endlessly customizable. After filling everyone’s bowls, pour the boiling beef broth over the paper-thin slices of raw sirloin and watch it cook before your eyes. Then let your guests select from the cast of fresh herbs that make Vietnamese cooking so exciting: cilantro, culantro, purple Thai basil and mint. Don’t stop there. Sprinkle with scallions, a dab of garlic-chile paste and a squirt of hoisin to construct a seductive yet simple masterpiece of Vietnamese comfort food.
The Gameplan: Day 1: Make beef broth.
Day 2: Make Pho Bo.
The Shopping List * 5 to 6 lbs. beef bones with marrow
1½ lbs. beef chuck or rump roast
2 4-inch pieces fresh ginger
1 large daikon
2 large yellow onions
1 cinnamon stick
5 to 6 star anise
6 whole cloves
4 Tbsp. fish sauce
1-inch piece palm rock sugar, plus more to taste**
2 12-oz. packages dried rice vermicelli noodles
3 cups bean sprouts
½ lb. paper-thin sliced sirloin or eye of round
1 cup fresh mint
1 cup fresh cilantro
1 cup fresh culantro
1 cup fresh Thai basil
1 jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced
? cup green onions, thinly sliced
1 lime, sliced into wedges
Hoisin sauce to taste
Sriracha to taste
Garlic-chile paste to taste
*This list assumes you have kosher salt at hand in your kitchen. If not, you will need to purchase that, too. **Palm rock sugar is available at Olive Supermarket in Olivette.
Beef Broth 2 quarts
5 to 6 lbs. beef bones with marrow
1½ lbs. beef chuck or rump roast, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 large daikon, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 large yellow onions, peeled and halved lengthwise
2 4-inch pieces fresh ginger, cut into ½-inch chunks
5 to 6 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
6 whole cloves
4 Tbsp. fish sauce, plus more to taste
1 Tbsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
1-inch piece palm rock sugar, plus more to taste
? Day 1: Add the beef bones, chuck, daikon, onion and ginger to a large stockpot. Place the cinnamon stick, star anise and cloves in a piece of cheesecloth and tie together to make a bouquet garni. Add it to the stockpot. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the contents. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low and simmer 1½ hours. Use a slotted spoon, gently skim any scum or residue that collects at the top off as it cooks.
? Remove the chuck from the stockpot and let cool. Chop into small pieces and reserve to make Pho Bo (recipe follows).
? Simmer the stock at least another 1½ hours, adding more water as needed if the stock becomes too concentrated.
?Remove the beef bones and discard. Place a fine mesh sieve over another large pot and line it with cheesecloth or paper towels. Pour the remaining contents of the stockpot through the strainer. Discard the solids. Refrigerate the stock until the fat rises to the top and remove with a spoon.
? Once the fat is removed, bring the broth back to a simmer over medium heat and season with fish sauce, palm rock sugar and salt. Taste and adjust seasoning to create a balanced broth with a hint of salty, briny sweetness. Broth will keep refrigerated about 1 week or frozen 6 months.
Pho Bo
6 servings
2 12-oz. packages dried rice vermicelli noodles
6 cups Beef Broth (recipe above)
3 cups bean sprouts
½ lb. paper-thin sliced sirloin or eye of round
Reserved chopped beef (recipe above)
1 cup fresh cilantro
1 cup fresh culantro
1 cup fresh mint
1 cup fresh Thai basil
1 jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced
? cup green onions, thinly sliced
1 lime, sliced into wedges
Hoisin sauce to taste
Sriracha to taste
Garlic-chile paste to taste
? Day 2: Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.
? Meanwhile, fill a medium bowl with very hot water. Submerge the rice noodles and steep 15 minutes. Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook until tender throughout, about 15 minutes. Drain the noodles and rinse under cold water until it runs clear, about 2 minutes. Place the noodles in a large bowl and set aside. Discard the cooking water.
? Return the pot to the stove over high heat and bring the beef broth to boil.
? Place 1 cup noodles in each bowl and cover each with ½ cup bean sprouts. Add 3 to 4 slices sirloin and 1 to 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped beef. Pour 1 cup broth over the meat, gently cooking the sirloin.
? Serve with cilantro, culantro, mint, Thai basil, jalapeno, green onions, lime wedges, hoisin, Sriracha and garlic-chile paste to taste.
-photos by Michelle Volansky
This article appears in November 2015.