Vietnamese Phở
A Vietnamese classic bowl that can make you scream 'so Pho-king good'. This traditional beef noodle soup features a rich, aromatic broth simmered for hours with charred aromatics and warm spices.
PrepPrep Time
150 min
CookCook Time
480 min
DiffDifficulty
Hard
Equipment
- Large stock pot (big enough for bones and meat)
- Herb bag or cheesecloth
- High heat pan for toasting spices
- Ladle for skimming
- Separate pot for noodles
Ingredients
Instructions
Clean the beef and bones
Clean the whole beef muscle with salt and rinse with water. Soak the beef bones in a bath of water, vinegar, and salt for 2 hours. Rinse both thoroughly, then blanch in boiling water - 2 minutes for the beef muscle, 5 minutes for the bones. Remove immediately. This is still prep, not the main cooking.
Char the aromatics
Grill the ginger (all of it), all the shallots, and 2 large onions directly over an open flame until the outer layer is completely burnt to ash. Peel off all the charred outer layer - this charring adds deep, smoky flavor to the broth.
Toast the spices
Put all the dried spices (cloves, star anise, coriander seeds, black cardamom, fennel seeds, dried tangerine peel, and cinnamon) in a dry pan over high heat. Stir constantly for 15-20 seconds until you can smell the fragrant spices filling the air.
Start the broth
Place the blanched beef bones and beef muscle in a giant pot. Add enough water to cover everything plus extra for evaporation. Add 6g salt and 6g sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat.
Skim and simmer
As the broth boils, continuously remove all the dirty foam and impurities that rise to the surface. Once boiling, lower the heat and let it simmer for 6-8 hours (some places even go up to 12 hours).
Add aromatics to broth
After 4 hours of simmering, place all the toasted spices in a herb bag and add to the pot. Also add the charred ginger, shallots, and onions directly (no filter needed).
Maintain the broth
Throughout the 6-8 hours, periodically skim the fat from the surface to keep the broth clean and clear. If the water level drops too much from evaporation, add more boiling water.
Finish the broth
After 6-8 hours, remove the herb bag and fish out the shallots, onions, and ginger. Discard the bones. Keep the cooked beef muscle for serving. Season the broth with salt, sugar, MSG, and fish sauce to taste - you want a balance of sweet and salty.
Prepare the noodles
In a separate pot of boiling water, add your Phở noodles and stir until softened. This applies to both fresh and dried noodles.
Prep the beef for serving
Slice the 600g of raw beef sirloin SUPER thin. Also slice the cooked beef muscle from the broth.
Assemble and serve
For each bowl: Add noodles, sliced spring onions, both types of beef (raw and cooked). Pour BOILING hot broth over the raw beef to cook it right in the bowl. Serve with chili, pepper, and lemon on the side for personal preference.
Chef's Notes
🚨 BIG HEAD UP: This is a very difficult recipe that takes a long time - not beginner friendly! I highly suggest trying other dishes on this website first before attempting something this challenging.
This recipe makes a whole pot that yields about 5-6 bowls of Phở, so understand that it can’t really be scaled down for just 1 person/1 bowl.
The Secret: The long simmering time and properly charred aromatics are what make restaurant-quality Phở. Don’t rush it!
Hope you have a Wah-derful rest of your morning, afternoon, or evening! 🍜