Spicy Beef Pho

Ingredients

• 6 cups beef broth
• 8 oz beef sirloin or tenderloin, thinly sliced
• ½ large onion, yellow
• 2 inch piece fresh ginger
• 3 clove garlic cloves
• 2 whole star anise
• 1 3-inch piece cinnamon stick
• 2 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon dried red chili flakes
• 1 whole fresh Thai chili, sliced
• 4 oz dried rice noodles (8mm width)
• ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
• ¼ cup fresh mint leaves
• 1 whole lime, cut into wedges
• 2 tablespoon Thai chili sauce or sriracha

Instructions

1. 1

   Cut a 0.5-inch-thick slice from the side of a large yellow onion (reserve the rest for another use). Place a 12-inch cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed sauté pan over high heat for 2 minutes until it's smoking slightly. Lay the onion slice flat on the hot surface, cut-side down, without oil — let it char deeply for 2 minutes until blackened. Flip and char the other side for 1 minute. Transfer to a cutting board and set aside.

2. 2

   Place a 2-inch piece of fresh ginger on a cutting board and, using the flat side of a chef's knife, smash it firmly to crack the skin and release aromatic oils. Peel away the papery skin with your fingers. Lightly char the ginger directly over a gas flame or on your hot skillet for 30 seconds per side (this deepens the flavor) — it should have light brown spots. Set aside.

3. 3

   Peel 3 garlic cloves and crush them gently with the flat blade of your knife — you want them cracked open but not minced. Char them on your hot skillet for 20 seconds per side until fragrant, then set aside.

4. 4

   Pour 6 cups of beef broth into a 4-quart stainless steel pot. Add the charred onion, ginger, and garlic, 2 whole star anise pods, and 1 cinnamon stick (about 3 inches). Bring to a boil over high heat — you'll see large, rolling bubbles breaking the surface. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 15 minutes, uncovered. The broth should barely bubble; if it boils aggressively, it will become cloudy instead of clear.

5. 5

   While the broth simmers, prepare your seasonings: pour 2 tablespoons of fish sauce and 1 tablespoon of low-sodium soy sauce into a small bowl. Add 0.5 teaspoon of brown sugar and 0.5 teaspoon of dried red chili flakes. Stir together and set aside.

6. 6

   After 15 minutes of simmering, strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean pot, discarding all solids — the broth should smell rich and aromatic. Stir in your fish sauce mixture. Add 1 fresh Thai chili (left whole for heat without overwhelming spiciness) and taste. The broth should be savory, slightly sweet, aromatic, and gently spicy. If it tastes flat, add a pinch more fish sauce. Keep the broth at a gentle simmer over low heat.

7. 7

   While the broth simmers, bring a large pot of unsalted water (about 3 quarts) to a rolling boil over high heat. Add 4 oz of dried rice noodles — don't break them, just place them in the water. Stir gently with a fork to separate the strands. Cook until al dente (tender but with a slight bite), usually 7-8 minutes. Drain in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse briefly under cool water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

8. 8

   Pat 8 oz of beef sirloin or tenderloin completely dry with paper towels — you want zero moisture. Using a sharp chef's knife, slice the beef against the grain into pieces about 1/8-inch thick and 2 inches long. Arrange the slices on a small plate. The beef will cook in the hot broth, so thin slices are essential for quick, even cooking.

9. 9

   Pick and wash 0.5 cup of fresh cilantro leaves, 0.25 cup of fresh basil leaves, and 0.25 cup of fresh mint leaves. Place them in a small bowl. Cut 1 lime into 4 wedges. Set out 2 tablespoons of Thai chili sauce or sriracha in a small serving dish alongside.

10. 10

    Divide the cooked rice noodles between two large, deep soup bowls (about 2 oz per bowl). Arrange half of your sliced raw beef on top of the noodles in each bowl — the arrangement helps the beef cook evenly in the hot broth.

11. 11

    Remove the Thai chili from the broth and discard it (or keep it if you want more heat). Ladle 3 cups of the simmering broth into each bowl, pouring it slowly over the beef and noodles — you'll see the beef turn from red to gray-brown within 10-15 seconds as the residual heat cooks it. The carryover heat from the broth will cook the beef perfectly medium-rare without requiring a separate step.

12. 12

    Top each bowl with a generous handful of the fresh cilantro, basil, and mint. Place one lime wedge on the rim of each bowl alongside the chili sauce. Serve immediately while the broth is still steaming — the aroma of star anise and fresh herbs rising from the bowl is part of the experience.

Tools you’ll need

• 12-inch cast iron skillet
• 4-quart stainless steel pot
• large pot (3-quart capacity)
• fine-mesh strainer
• chef's knife
• cutting board
• small bowl
• small plate
• fork
• soup ladle
• two large deep soup bowls

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