Bach Ngos Pho Hanoi Beef Soup Recipes

PHO BO: VIETNAMESE BEEF NOODLE SOUP

Steps:

• For the beef stock: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add the oxtails, neck bones, and shank bones. Return the water to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Drain into colander and rinse the bones thoroughly under cold running water. Rinse the pot and return the oxtails, neck bones, and shank bones to the pot. Add water, slowly bring to a simmer, and cook for at least 6 hours. Meanwhile, roast the onion and ginger on a rimmed baking sheet for 40 minutes.
• Add the roasted onion and ginger to the simmering stock, along with the cinnamon, star anise, clove, cardamom pod, pepper, and palm sugar. Add the beef brisket and cook for 30-45 minutes; remove and allow the stock to continue to simmer, skimming off any scum that rises to the top. After 6-8 hours, remove pot from the heat and use a slotted spoon to discard the large solids. Strain the stock into soup pot through a fine-mesh sieve. (Note: To store, let cool completely; then transfer to airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Makes 6 quarts.)
• For the soup: Thinly slice the top round and use the back of your knife to tenderize the meat slices; set aside. Slice the cooked brisket against the grain in thin slices; set aside. Blanch the bean sprouts in hot water; set aside. Season the stock with a few pinches of salt and fish sauce to taste.
• Warm a serving bowl in hot water. Place the dried rice noodles in fine-mesh sieve; submerge the sieve in hot water and gently stir with tongs, 5-10 seconds. Place the cooked noodles in the warmed serving bowl. Top with brisket; then add a few slices of the top round and some chopped scallions and cilantro. Ladle the hot broth into the bowl, being careful not to submerge the top round. Serve immediately, accompanied by optional garnishes.

BACH NGO'S PHO (HANOI BEEF SOUP)

Steps:

• Bring 9 cups of water to a boil. Add oxtail and chuck. Return to boil for 10 minutes, removing scum. Impale the ginger on a fork and hold it over a flame until it is blackened. Do the same with shallots. Add both to broth, together with star anise and cinnamon. Cover and simmer gently for 3 hours.
• While soup is simmering, chop coriander and scallions and combine. Set aside. Slice onion paper thin and set aside.
• Blanch bean sprouts in boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove and drain.
• Slice round or shoulder roast into paper-thin slices. This will be easier to do if the meat has first been slightly frozen.
• About 20 minutes before serving, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil and add rice noodles. Boil 5 minutes, then drain, run cold water over them and set aside.
• When broth is done and chuck and oxtail are tender, remove meats from broth. Slice chuck and remove meat from oxtail bones. Remove ginger, shallots, anise and cinnamon from the broth. Add nuoc mam to broth.
• To assemble and serve the soup, set out a bowl for each guest. Distribute noodles, cooked meat, and raw meat slices among the bowls. Add a few sliced onions, a few bean sprouts, and sprinkle with the combined scallion and coriander.
• Immediately before serving, pour boiling beef broth over the contents of each bowl. This will slightly cook the raw beef.
• Serve accompanied by a platter with the remaining bean sprouts and onion rings, the lemon wedges and the hot pepper slices. Serve additional nuoc mam for those who prefer a saltier taste.

HANOI BEEF NOODLE SOUP

Steps:

• Make broth:
• Roast onions and ginger directly on rack of a gas burner over high heat, turning with tongs, until blistered and blackened, 10 to 15 minutes. (Alternatively, broil onions and ginger on foil-lined rack of a broiler pan about 5 inches from heat, turning occasionally, until charred, 20 to 25 minutes for onions; 25 to 30 minutes for ginger.) Transfer to a bowl and cool. When cool enough to handle, rinse and rub under cold running water to remove any blackened pieces (some areas will remain browned).
• While onions and ginger roast, cover shanks with 2 quarts cold water in a 6- to 8-quart pot. Bring to a boil, then drain in a large colander (discard cooking water) and rinse well with cold water. Clean pot.
• Wrap star anise, cinnamon stick, cloves, and peppercorns in cheesecloth and tie into a bundle with kitchen string to make a spice bag, then add to cleaned pot along with 4 quarts water, shanks, onions, and ginger. Simmer, uncovered, skimming froth occasionally, 2 hours. Add remaining quart water and return to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, skimming froth occasionally, until shanks are very tender, about 1 hour more.
• Prepare sirloin and noodles for soup while broth simmers:
• Freeze steak until firm but not frozen solid, 30 to 45 minutes, then slice across the grain with a sharp thin knife into less than 1/8-inch-thick slices.
• Soak rice noodles in cold water to cover until softened, about 30 minutes, then drain in cleaned large colander. Cook noodles in a 6-quart pot of boiling water, uncovered, stirring, 1 minute, then drain.
• Finish soup:
• Transfer shanks with tongs to a cutting board. Clean pot. When shanks are cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones and cut into small pieces, discarding bones, fat, and sinew. Set aside 2 cups beef (reserve remainder for another use).
• Pour broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large heatproof bowl, discarding solids. Measure broth: If there is more than 3 quarts (12 cups), boil in cleaned pot until reduced; if there is less, add water. Let stand until fat rises to top, 1 to 2 minutes, then skim off fat if desired.
• Combine broth and beef (2 cups) in cleaned 6- to 8-quart pot and bring to a boil, then add fish sauce and salt and return to a boil just before serving.
• Divide noodles among 6 large deep bowls. Top noodles with uncooked sliced steak and ladle boiling-hot broth (with pieces of beef shanks) over steak and noodles. (Hot broth will cook steak.)
• Serve soup with accompaniments.

PHO BO (VIETNAMESE BEEF-AND-NOODLE SOUP)

Steps:

• Soak rice noodles in hot water to cover.
• Meanwhile, combine stock, star anise, cinnamon, ginger, onion and cloves in saucepan; turn heat to high. When mixture boils, turn heat to low, and cover. Let cook, undisturbed, for 20 minutes to 1 hour, depending on how much time you have (the longer the cooking, the deeper the flavor). Strain, and return to saucepan; turn heat to medium.
• Bring pot of water to boil. Drain noodles, add them to pot, and boil for 30 seconds; drain well. Warm 4 large bowls by filling them with hot water; discard water. Divide noodles among bowls.
• Turn heat under soup to medium, and add beef; stir once, and then turn off heat. (The meat is traditionally left rare; if you want to cook it more, go ahead, but these slices will cook through in less than 2 minutes.) Add fish sauce or soy sauce and plenty of pepper to the soup. Taste, and add salt or more seasoning, if necessary.
• Top noodles with broth and meat, and then bring to the table. Serve, passing lime wedges, scallions, chilies and herbs at the table, so that everyone can add them to taste.

PHO BO (HANOI BEEF SOUP)

Steps:

• Place the vermicelli in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Allow to soak until pliable, about 30 minutes. Drain.
• Place the stock in a large pan and bring it to a boil. Have either 4 very large or 6 slightly smaller individual soup bowls ready. Put a handful of vermicelli into a strainer that will fit in the pan and dip the strainer into the hot stock. Swirl the vermicelli until tender but still a little chewy, about 20 seconds. Shake the vermicelli dry and place it in a soup bowl. Repeat with the remaining noodles.
• Divide the beef, sprouts, cilantro, basil and scallions among the bowls. Ladle the hot stock into the bowls and squeeze a lime wedge over each. Serve with the chilies, fish sauce and black pepper on the side.