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Beef noodle soup with rice noodles recipe (pho bo)

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Rating:

4/ 5 stars 11 Votes
  • Cuisine: Vietnamese
  • Serves 8

You might also like Angie Hong's light, fragrant pho recipe, as seen on Food Safari. Or try food writer Phil Lees's speedy chicken pho recipe.

Ingredients

2kg (4 lb 8 oz) oxtail (ask your butcher to chop it into 3cm/11/4 inch pieces)
4 tbsp salt
1 unpeeled garlic bulb
4 large unpeeled onions
150g (51/2 oz) unpeeled ginger
2kg (4 lb 8 oz) beef brisket
185ml (6 fl oz/3/4 cup) fish sauce
80g (23/4 oz) rock sugar
1.6kg (3 lb 8 oz) fresh rice noodle (you will need about 200g/7 oz per person)
400g (14 oz) trimmed sirloin, thinly sliced
4 spring onions (scallions), sliced freshly ground black pepper
Coriander (cilantro) sprigs
2 birdseye chillies, sliced
1 lime, cut into wedges

Spice pouch
8 cloves
5 star anise
2 cassia bark, about 10cm (4 inch) in length
1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
40cm (16 inch) square piece muslin cloth

Preparation

In a large pot, submerge the oxtail in cold water, add 3 tablespoons of the salt and soak for 1 hour, then drain.

To make the spice pouch, dry roast each ingredient separately in a frying pan over medium heat until fragrant.

Cool, then coarsely grind using a mortar and pestle or small spice grinder. Add the ground spices to the muslin square and tie up tightly in a knot. Set aside.

Heat a barbecue grill or chargill pan over medium-high heat and grill the unpeeled garlic, onions and ginger evenly for 15 minutes in total until all sides are blackened.

Now peel the blackened skins and discard them, and then roughly chop. (By doing this, the garlic, onion and ginger becomes sweet and fragrant, releasing more flavour into the stock.)

Put the oxtail, brisket and 6 litres (200 fl oz) of cold water in a stockpot and bring to the boil. While the stock is boiling, constantly skim any impurities off the surface for 15 minutes (this will ensure a clean, clear broth), then reduce the heat to a low simmer.

Add the fish sauce, remaining 1 tablespoon of salt, rock sugar, garlic, onions, ginger and spice pouch.

Cover and simmer for 3 hours, or until the stock has reduced to almost half.
Strain the stock through a muslin cloth. Remove the brisket, set aside to cool, then thinly slice.

Blanch each portion of noodles in boiling water for 20 seconds.

Drain, then transfer to a serving bowl.

Place three or four slices of brisket on top of the noodles, followed by three or four pieces of raw sirloin. Pour over the hot stock to cover the noodles and beef.

Garnish each bowl with 1 tablespoon of spring onion, a pinch of black pepper and a coriander sprig.

At the table, add chilli and a squeeze of lime.

If you enjoyed this Beef noodle soup with rice noodles recipe (pho bo) then browse more Vietnamese recipes, soup recipes, noodle and dumpling recipes, meat recipes, nut-free recipes, egg-free recipes, healthy recipes and our most popular hainanese chicken rice recipe.

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Comments (12)

Previous Page 1 | 2 Next
05 Dec 2012 02:31 AEST
D rice maker
Mosman
Pho soup
Thi you sound extremely jealous. Get a life and stop hating on Luke. He's a great chef and wll deserving of his success. Why don't you get a job or a haircut, you may fell better about yourself
Agree(3 people agree)
Disagree(0 people disagree)
11 Nov 2011 05:50 AEST
Alex
I have just returned from ysecond 'tour of duty' in Vietnam, I love this recipe and ate it every morning. As Luke says, you can eat it at any time of he day. I got back on the day this episode went to air, I already bought ingredients to experiment to see if I can copy then BAM! Luke laid i our beautifully, thanks so much.
Agree(2 people agree)
Disagree(2 people disagree)
23 Oct 2011 08:14 AEST
Sidsel
Hi. I absolutely loved to see how the pho bo was made. I am going to Hanoi soon and would love to vistit Miss. Hihn's food stall. Can any please tell me where to find it? Thank you. Best Regards, Sidsel
Agree(7 people agree)
Disagree(0 people disagree)
18 Apr 2011 05:03 AEST
minh
There is a disconnect between the video and listed ingredients. It should be shallots not garlic. Watch the video again.
Agree(5 people agree)
Disagree(0 people disagree)
19 Mar 2011 10:59 AEST
Thuy
I agreed with Thi. NO Viet cooks Pho Bo with garlic, period.
Agree(5 people agree)
Disagree(5 people disagree)
26 Feb 2011 06:54 AEST
caveman
bee bop
Agree(2 people agree)
Disagree(5 people disagree)
18 Feb 2011 06:14 AEST
lili
I completely disagree with Thi!You can be a good cook and not be a good 'restaurateur'.I think that you are a great cook and i always watch and tried a few of your recipes, they are absolutely wow! Here in Mauritius,we can find almost all the ingredients in your recipes. Wish you luck and hope to welcome you in our island someday!!
Agree(4 people agree)
Disagree(3 people disagree)
26 Jan 2011 10:18 AEST
Thi
Cabramatta
Pho
I think MASTER LUKE NGUYEN have to learn more about the real Vietnamese food , because I did watch some of your show , I see it alot of SHIT people who eat your food because they dont know about our food they only found it different with their food .If your family food real good ,tell my how many time your father had closed his restaurant in Cabramatta , only one thing I like to ask you which Teacher have you learn to cook PHO with galic in
Agree(17 people agree)
Disagree(59 people disagree)
   

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