Vietnamese Beef Pho - 1 hr Version
RachelIngredients
- For the quick broth:
- 2 large yellow onions
- 1 (4-inch) piece fresh ginger
- 2 (3-inch) whole cinnamon sticks
- 2 whole star anise
- 3 whole cloves
- 2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds
- 6 cups low-sodium beef broth ( we used Kettle Fire beef broth and bone broth)
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
- For serving:
- 8 ounces sirloin steak, round eye, or London broil
- 8 ounces dried rice noodles (bahn pho, 1/16-, 1/8-, or 1/-4 inch wide)
- 3 medium scallions
- 1 fresh chili pepper, such as Thai bird, serrano, or jalapeño
- 1 to 2 medium limes
- 1 cup mung bean sprouts
- 1 cup fresh herbs, such as cilantro, basil, Thai basil, mint, or a mix
- Hot sauce, Sriracha, or hoisin sauce
Instructions
Prepare the onions and ginger, then char on all sides over high flame on a gas stove, or on a baking sheet placed directly under the broiler (about 5 minutes on each side) — until the onions and ginger pieces are charred in spots. Rinse the pieces under cool water to remove any loose, gritty, overly charred bits; set aside.
Toast the cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and coriander seeds in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until toasted and very fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent the spices from scorching. Combine broth, tamari or soy sauce, fish sauce, carrots, and charred onions and ginger. Cover and bring the broth to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes to give time for all the spices and aromatics to infuse in the broth. Meanwhile, thinly slice the beef (easier if slightly frozen for 15 min), cook the noodles, and prepare the toppings.
When the broth is ready, set a strainer over another bowl or saucepan, and strain the solids from the broth. Discard the solids. Place the broth back over low heat and keep it just below a simmer — you should see a fair amount of steam, but the broth should not be boiling. The broth needs to be quite hot to cook the beef.
If you haven't already done so, divide the noodles between serving bowls and top with a few slices of raw beef. Arrange the beef in a single layer so that the slices will cook evenly in the broth; slices that are stacked or clumped may not cook all the way through.
Ladle the steaming broth into each bowl, pouring it evenly over the beef in order to cook it. The beef should immediately start to turn opaque. Fill each bowl with as much broth as desired.
Serve the pho with toppings. Serve the pho at the table and let each person top their bowl as they like.