📝 About This Recipe
Tracing its roots to Northern Vietnam, Pho Bo is more than just a soup; it is a fragrant masterpiece of clarity and depth. This recipe features a crystal-clear beef broth infused with charred aromatics and warming spices, poured over silky rice noodles and tender ribbons of beef. It is a labor of love that balances salty, sweet, and herbaceous notes for the ultimate comfort in a bowl.
🥗 Ingredients
The Broth Base
- 4 pounds Beef marrow and knuckle bones (rinsed well)
- 1 pound Beef brisket (left in one piece)
- 2 large Yellow onions (halved, skins on)
- 4 inch piece Fresh ginger (sliced lengthwise)
- 6 quarts Water (filtered is best)
The Aromatics
- 8 whole Star anise (toasted)
- 2 pieces Cinnamon sticks (toasted)
- 2 whole Black cardamom pods (cracked and toasted)
- 1 tablespoon Coriander seeds (toasted)
- 4 whole Cloves (toasted)
- 1/4 cup Fish sauce (high quality, like Red Boat)
- 1 ounce Yellow rock sugar (or 2 tbsp granulated sugar)
Noodles and Beef
- 1 pound Dried banh pho noodles (medium width)
- 1/2 pound Beef eye of round or sirloin (sliced paper-thin against the grain)
Fresh Garnishes
- 1 bunch Thai basil (fresh leaves only)
- 2 cups Bean sprouts (washed)
- 1/2 cup Fresh cilantro and scallions (finely chopped)
- 2-3 Bird's eye chilies (sliced)
- 2 Limes (cut into wedges)
👨🍳 Instructions
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1
Place the beef bones and brisket in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a rolling boil for 10 minutes to release impurities; you will see a grey foam rise to the top.
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2
Drain the bones and brisket into a colander and scrub them under cold running water to remove all scum. Wash the stockpot thoroughly before returning the bones and brisket to the pot.
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3
While the bones parboil, char the onions and ginger. Place them cut-side up under a broiler or over an open gas flame until the surfaces are blackened and fragrant. Rinse off the excess burnt skin.
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4
Fill the clean stockpot with 6 quarts of fresh water. Add the scrubbed bones, brisket, charred onion, and charred ginger. Bring to a gentle simmer.
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5
In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the star anise, cinnamon, cardamom, coriander seeds, and cloves for 2-3 minutes until highly aromatic. Place them in a spice bag or cheesecloth and add to the pot.
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6
Simmer the broth uncovered for at least 6 hours (up to 10). Frequently skim any fat or foam that rises to the surface to ensure the broth remains crystal clear.
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7
After about 1.5 to 2 hours of simmering, remove the brisket. It should be tender but not falling apart. Submerge it in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes to prevent darkening, then wrap and refrigerate until serving.
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8
Once the broth is finished, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a clean pot. Discard the solids.
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9
Season the broth with fish sauce, rock sugar, and salt. The broth should taste slightly over-seasoned because the noodles will dilute the flavor later.
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10
Prepare the rice noodles by soaking them in cold water for 30 minutes, then blanching them in boiling water for 10-20 seconds right before serving until soft but chewy.
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11
Thinly slice the chilled brisket and the raw eye of round. Arrange the hot noodles in large bowls.
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12
Top the noodles with slices of both cooked brisket and raw beef. Bring the broth to a rolling boil and ladle it immediately over the meat; the heat of the broth will cook the raw beef perfectly.
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13
Garnish with a sprinkle of scallions and cilantro. Serve immediately with a side platter of basil, sprouts, lime, and chilies.
💡 Chef's Tips
For the clearest broth, never let it reach a vigorous rolling boil after the initial cleaning; a gentle 'smile' of bubbles is perfect. To get paper-thin slices of raw beef, freeze the meat for 30-45 minutes before slicing. Always use yellow rock sugar if available; it provides a mellow, rounded sweetness that granulated sugar cannot replicate. Do not skip the parboiling and scrubbing of the bones; this is the secret to the professional, non-cloudy appearance of authentic Pho. Adjust the fish sauce at the very end to suit your palate, as brands vary significantly in saltiness.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve with a side of Hoisin sauce and Sriracha in small dipping bowls for the meat. A cold Vietnamese iced coffee (Ca Phe Sua Da) provides a sweet, creamy contrast to the savory soup. Provide extra long chopsticks and a wide ceramic spoon to capture both noodles and broth in every bite. A side of 'Quay' (Vietnamese fried dough sticks) is perfect for dipping into the rich broth. Pair with a crisp, light lager to cleanse the palate between spicy, herbaceous bites.