Pho Tai (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)

Ingredients

• 2 lb beef bones (knuckle or marrow bones)
• 1 lb beef brisket, in one piece
• 1 large yellow onion, unpeeled
• 3 inch piece fresh ginger, unpeeled
• 4 whole star anise pods
• 1 whole cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 3 whole cloves
• 2 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon rock sugar
• 8 cup water
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ lb beef sirloin or eye of round, thinly sliced
• 1 lb fresh rice noodles (bánh phở)
• ½ cup fresh Thai basil
• ½ cup fresh mint
• ½ cup fresh cilantro
• 2 whole jalapeños, thinly sliced
• ½ medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cup bean sprouts
• 2 whole lime wedges
• 2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoon sriracha

Instructions

1. 1

   Place the 2 lb beef bones and 1 lb beef brisket in a large 8-quart pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately drain and rinse both the bones and brisket under cold running water — this removes impurities that would cloud your broth. Scrub the pot clean, fill it with 8 cups of fresh water, and return the cleaned bones and brisket to the pot.

2. 2

   While the broth comes to a gentle boil, char the aromatics. Cut an unpeeled large yellow onion in half lengthwise (do not peel it — the skin will add color and flavor to the broth). Place a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until it's smoking hot, about 2 minutes. Lay the onion halves cut-side down on the hot surface and char for 3-4 minutes until blackened. Simultaneously, char a 3-inch piece of unpeeled fresh ginger by laying it on its side on the skillet for 2-3 minutes, rotating once, until the skin blisters and blackens in spots. The burnt aromatics add deep, complex flavor to the broth.

3. 3

   Once the broth reaches a boil, add the charred onion halves and ginger piece to the pot. Add 4 whole star anise pods, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, and 3 whole cloves. Stir well, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently — you want just a few bubbles breaking the surface, never a rolling boil, which makes the broth cloudy.

4. 4

   Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. The brisket should be fork-tender by now (it will continue to soften). Taste the broth and add 2 tablespoons fish sauce and 1 tablespoon rock sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Taste again and adjust seasoning — the broth should smell intensely fragrant and taste balanced between savory and slightly sweet.

5. 5

   Remove the pot from heat. Using tongs, carefully pull out the cooked brisket and transfer it to a cutting board to cool slightly. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl, discarding the bones and aromatics. You should have about 6 cups of clear, fragrant golden broth. Wipe out the pot, return the broth to it, and keep it over low heat to stay warm.

6. 6

   While the broth simmers, prepare your toppings. Using a sharp knife, slice the 0.5 lb beef sirloin or eye of round as thin as possible — ideally paper-thin, about 1/16-inch. You can freeze the meat for 20 minutes first to make slicing easier. Arrange the slices on a plate. Rough-chop the cooked brisket from the broth into bite-size pieces (you'll have about 1 cup) and set aside. Have 0.5 cup fresh Thai basil, 0.5 cup fresh mint, 0.5 cup fresh cilantro, 2 thinly sliced jalapeños, 0.5 medium yellow onion thinly sliced, and 2 cups bean sprouts ready in small bowls.

7. 7

   Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add 1 lb fresh rice noodles and stir gently to separate them. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until just tender but still with a slight chew — taste one to check. The noodles cook very quickly and can turn mushy if overcooked. Drain in a fine-mesh strainer and divide among 4 deep pho bowls.

8. 8

   Ladle the hot broth (about 1.5 cups per bowl) over the noodles in each bowl — the heat will gently cook the paper-thin sliced beef that's waiting on top. Immediately lay a handful of the sliced raw beef sirloin across the top of the hot broth in each bowl. You'll see it turn pale and cooked from the residual heat — this is the signature preparation of pho tai (rare beef pho). Top each bowl with a small handful of the cooked brisket pieces.

9. 9

   Arrange the fresh Thai basil, mint, cilantro, jalapeños, sliced onion, and bean sprouts in small piles on top of each bowl — these fresh, bright toppings are essential, added by the diner to taste. Serve each bowl with 1 lime wedge, 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce, and 1 tablespoon sriracha on the side. Encourage diners to squeeze lime juice, add herbs and sprouts, and stir in as much hoisin and sriracha as they like. The beauty of pho is in the customization.

Tools you’ll need

• 8-quart pot
• 12-inch cast iron skillet
• fine-mesh strainer
• cutting board
• sharp knife
• tongs
• 4 deep pho bowls
• large pot
• ladle

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