Vietnamese beef noodle soup (pho bo)
Called pho bo in its native country and pho in the Western Hemisphere, Vietnamese noodle soup is time consuming to make because the broth must be prepared from bones. Premixed pho seasoning is available in supermarkets but the taste doesn't compare.
Instructions
1. Rinse the bones and boil in a large stockpot filled with water on high heat to sterilize. Skim the scum and froth if you see any. Boil until the water is clear of bubbles and scum. Turn the heat off.
Saute the onions, ginger, star anise, coriander seeds and cinnamon stick in a skillet over medium-high with 1 tablespoon of oil. Cook until the onions begins to brown. Set aside.
Transfer the bones to a Crock-Pot and discard the boiling water. Fill the pot with 10 cups of water, add the sauteed ingredients and the caster sugar, fish sauce, salt and black pepper.
Cover and simmer for at least eight hours; better if overnight. Don't worry if you go to sleep, as the water level will still be high when you wake up.
Use a strainer to discard seasoning ingredients. Turn off the heat and add sliced beef to the broth. Let the beef cook in warm broth; since the beef is thinly sliced, it will cook fast and no boiling is needed.
2. Boil water in a pot and cook the according to package direction. Some rice noodles require soaking in cold water before using.
If using the beef balls, cut them into halves or leave them whole and cook with the noodles for two minutes before the noodles are done. Discard the water used for cooking.
Turn off the heat. Add green onions, coriander and bean sprouts to the rice noodles, stirring a bit.
3. Place the cooked rice noodles, beef balls and vegetables in serving bowls and ladle beef flanks and broth over the noodles. Squeeze the lime juice if desired and garnish with freshly sliced peppers and cilantro or Thai basil.
Tags: rice noodles, Turn heat, beef balls