Pho Bac Northern Vietnamese Style Beef And Rice Noodle Soup Recipes

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.

VIETNAMESE "PHO" RICE NOODLE SOUP WITH BEEF

Steps:

• In a large stockpot, bring 6 quarts water to a boil. Place the bones and beef chuck in a second pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil and boil vigorously for 5 minutes. Using tongs, carefully transfer the bones and beef to the first pot of boiling water. Discard the water in which the meat cooked (this cleans the bones and meat and reduces the impurities that can cloud the broth). When the water returns to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer. Skim the surface often to remove any foam and fat. Add the charred ginger and onions, fish sauce and sugar. Simmer until the beef chuck is tender, about 40 minutes. Remove 1 piece and submerge in cool water for 10 minutes to prevent the meat from darkening and drying out. Drain, then cut into thin slices, and set aside. Let the other piece of beef chuck continue to cook in the simmering broth.
• When the broth has been simmering for about 1 1/2 hours total, wrap the star anise and cloves in a spice bag or piece of cheesecloth and add to the broth. Let infuse until the broth is fragrant about 30 minutes. Remove and discard both the spice bag and onions. Add the salt and continue to simmer, skimming as necessary, until ready to assemble the dish. The broth needs to cook for at least 2 hours. (The broth will taste salty but will be balanced once the noodles and accompaniments are added.) Leave the remaining chuck and bones to simmer in the pot while you assemble the bowls.
• To serve, place the cooked noodles in preheated bowls. (If the noodles are not hot, reheat them in a microwave or dip them briefly in boiling water to prevent them cooling down the soup.) Place a few slices of the beef chuck and the raw sirloin on the noodles. Bring the broth to a rolling boil; ladle about 2 to 3 cups into each bowl. The broth will cook the raw beef instantly. Garnish with yellow onions, scallions, and cilantro. Serve immediately, inviting guests to garnish the bowls with bean sprouts, herbs, chiles, lime juice, and black pepper.

VIETNAMESE BEEF AND RICE NOODLE SOUP (PHO)

Steps:

• Place the oxtails in a large stockpot and add the water.
• Bring the water to a full boil, then reduce heat and bring water to a simmer.
• Scrape any scum off the top of the water and discard.
• Cut the onion in half and peel off the outer portion.
• Place on a baking sheet along with the ginger and broil in the over about 20 minutes, making sure not to blacken it.
• Turn over halfway through.
• Allow to cool.
• Place the star anise, cloves, cinnamon, and fennel seeds in a piece of cheesecloth and tie it shut with twine.
• Add the spice pack, onion halves, ginger, bay leaves, salt, and fish sauce to the broth.
• Allow the broth to simmer at least 5-6 hours (to your taste) uncovered.
• Remove the spice pack, onions, ginger, and bay leaves and discard.
• Remove the oxtails and set them aside.
• When cool enough to handle, remove the meat and trim of any remaining fat.
• Set the meat aside and return the bones to the broth.
• Allow the broth to simmer another hour or two until you achieve the desired taste then remove the bones.
• You may adjust the salt, but you don't want it too salty.
• Soak the rice noodles in COLD water 15-20 minutes, while starting a large pot of water boiling.
• While the noodles are soaking, place the cilantro, basil leaves, mint leaves, sliced onions, sliced scallions, and bean sprouts on a serving platter.
• After the noodles have soaked, place them in the boiling water and allow to cook until tender, but don't let them get mushy.
• It should only take a couple minutes.
• Rinse the noodles in cold water if not serving immediately.
• When ready to eat (you can do this earlier, like when you're boiling the water for the noodles) return the broth to a rolling boil.
• Place the noodles in a serving bowl and arrange the sliced meat (leftover oxtail meat if desired) over them.
• Ladle the boiling broth over the noodles and beef, making sure to cover the meat.
• Serve and allow each person to place the desired amount of garnish from the platter, hoisin sauce, and sriracha in their own bowl to taste.

PHO BAC (NORTHERN VIETNAMESE STYLE BEEF AND RICE NOODLE SOUP)

Steps:

• Arrange a rack 4 inches from broiler and heat. Put shallots and ginger on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and broil, turning often, until blackened (15-20 minutes) and let cool.
• Scrape peels off shallots and ginger. Halve ginger lengthwise, press each piece with the side of a knife to flatten, and set aside with shallots.
• Heat fennel seeds, star anise, cinnamon, and cardamom in a small skillet over medium heat and toast, swirling pan, until fragrant (3 minutes). Transfer spices to a small bowl and set aside.
• Place bones in a 12 qt pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse bones. Clean pot and return bones to pot along with reserved shallots and ginger, beef and cold water.
• Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and add reserved toasted spices, scallops and 2 tbsp salt. Cook, skimming surface, until beef is tender (1 1/2 hours).
• Using tongs, transfer beef to a bowl of ice water and cool for 10 minutes. Drain beef and thinly slice crosswise. Transfer to a plate, cover and refrigerate.
• Continue cooking broth for 1 1/2 hours more. Remove from heat and pour through a cheesecloth-lined fine strainer set over a clean 6 qt pot. Discard solids and skim fat from surface. Stir in fish sauce and scallion whites and keep hot.
• Combine vinegar and chiles in a small bowl and set aside.
• Pour boiling water over noodles in a medium bowl and let soak until al dente (10 minutes). Rinse noodles in cold water, drain and divide between 8 serving bowls.
• Top each with chilled, cooked beef and raw sirloin. Top beef with onions, then scallion greens and cilantro. Season with pepper and then ladle broth over each serving, placing one white scallion piece in each bowl.
• Serve with chiles on the side.

PHO (VIETNAMESE BEEF AND RICE-NOODLE SOUP)

Steps:

• Put the oxtails into a large stockpot and add enough water to cover the bones by 4 inches (about 2 gallons). Bring to a full boil and then lower the heat to a rapid simmer. Skim the scum that rises to the surface.
• Meanwhile put the ginger and onion halves on a baking sheet and char them under the broiler until lightly blackened, 10 to 15 minutes. Turn them over halfway through cooking. When cool enough to handle, rinse the onion and ginger under running water, using a knife to scrape away some of the charred surface. Cut the ginger into 3 pieces and toss it and the onion halves into the simmering broth, along with 1 tablespoon salt and the fish sauce.
• Put the star anise, cloves, and cinnamon stick in a small skillet and toast them on top of a stove burner over medium heat. Turn the spices a couple of times until they're slightly darkened (3 to 4 minutes) and until you smell their aroma. Put the toasted spices and fennel seeds in a small square of double thick cheesecloth and tie the bundle with a long piece of kitchen twine. Add the spice bundle and the bay leaves to the broth, tying the end of the twine to the pot handle for easy retrieval.
• Let the broth simmer, uncovered, skimming occasionally. After 4 hours, remove the spice bundle, onion, bay leaves and ginger from the pot and discard. Remove the oxtails from the pot and set aside. Let the broth continue to simmer. When the meat is cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bones. Set the meat aside and return bones to the broth. Continue simmering, uncovered, until the broth is rich and flavorful, about 1 hour. Taste the broth and add more salt or fish sauce as needed.
• Meanwhile, soak the rice noodles in cold water for at least 20 minutes. Arrange the sliced scallions, cilantro, parsley, basil, bean sprouts, lime wedges, and chiles on a platter in separate piles.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the drained noodles. Give the noodles a quick stir and cook until tender but firm, about 1 minute. Rice noodles can quickly become gummy, so don't let them overcook. Drain the noodles. Warm 6 large bowls by rinsing the with hot water and divide the noodles among the bowls.
• Just before serving, return the broth to a full boil. Arrange the slices of raw filet and pieces of cooked oxtail meat over the noodles in each bowl. Carefully ladle the boiling broth over all; the raw beef should be submerged in the broth. Serve immediately, along with the platters of garnish.