Goddess Grub Homemade Pho Soup
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FIRST, HOW TO MAKE THE
PHO BEEF BROTH
In a small dry frypan (or in the oven at 400),
toast together for about 15 minutes:
4 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp cardamon seeds
1 tsp fennel seed
2 finger sized pieces of sliced raw ginger
2 chopped yellow onions
2 stalks celery
2 carrots
2 bay leaves
Leg and knuckle bones are the best to make the
stock, as they contain the rich yellow marrow.
If you can't find leg and knuckle bones, use oxtail bones.
PREBOIL THE BONES FOR 10 MINUTES FIRST.
Place the bones in a pot with enough water to cover. The bones are first boiled for 10 minutes to get rid of the impurities. After 10 minutes, discard the water, rinse your pot, rinse the bones, and refill with fresh water. This is an essential step.
When the water again comes to a boil, add the spices, onion and ginger you have been toasting.
Keep the pot just boiling - if it boils too fast, you will see more impurities rise to the top.
If you keep it at an active simmer, you will avoid the need to skim the surface to keep your broth clear.
The traditional recipe calls for
1 pound of beef
, sliced, so add that now. Keep a few raw slices out to add at the last minute when serving the soup. I've made it without the sliced beef, but found the flavor lacking.
Add 1 teaspoon of
salt.
Add 1/4 to 1/3 cup
Three Crabs brand fish sauce (this adds salt taste also)
Add a thumb sized chunk of
palm sugar
Simmer the broth for 1.5 hours, then remove the slices of beef. You will add them back to the soup later.
Simmer the broth for another 1.5 hours. All of the flavors in the bones will have been extracted after that time.
Place the strained broth in the refrigerator so that the fat will rise to the surface so you can remove it.
This was a little labor intensive to make. The hardest part is preboiling the bones and getting them to the proper simmer stage so you can leave them for 3 hours.
HOW TO PREPARE THE RICE NOODLES
Rice sticks, or banh pho, are translucent, linguini-shaped dried noodles sold in Asian markets. For pho, buy the small, 1/16-inch-wide variety.
To prepare them, first soak them in cold water for 30 minutes and drain. Then bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. When you're ready to serve (not before), place the noodles, one portion at a time, into a sieve and lower it into the boiling water.
Using chopsticks or a long spoon, stir so the noodles untangle and cook evenly. Blanch just until they're soft but still chewy, about 10 to 20 seconds.
Drain completely, then transfer to a preheated bowl.
To serve: Divide noodles among 4 to 6 large individual serving bowls. Arrange thinly sliced raw beef, scallions, onion, and cilantro on top.
Pour boiling hot broth to cover noodles and serve immediately. The boiling broth will cook the thin slices of beef.
Pho is always accompanied by bean sprouts, basil leaves, culantro and chile pepper.
Serve with lime and lemon quarters, fish sauce, hoisin sauce and hot chile sauce.
TO ASSEMBLE YOUR PHO USING YOUR HOMEMADE BROTH:
First, remove the fat layer from your broth and as you heat the defatted broth, prepare your rice noodles as shown below.
Place in a large bowl:
Your prepared and cooked rice noodles
1/4 small yellow onion, sliced in slivers
2 sliced scallions, thumbnail sized slices
1 cup bean sprouts
1 cup Thai basil (holy basil)
Pour the broth into the bowl and garnish with:
2 small red chillies sliced, if you want it HOT
Nam Prik Pai (chili sauce in oil) for spice
More fish sauce if you wish
Lime wedges, to serve