Vietnamese Pho

Title:
Vietnamese Pho

Yield:
4 Servings

Categories:
Soups,
Vietnamese




Ingredients:





     5 lb Beef bones with marrow


     5 lb Oxtails


     1 lb Flank steak


     2 lg Onions; unpeeled, halved,


          -and studded with 8 cloves


     3    Shallots; unpeeled


     2 oz Piece ginger; unpeeled


     8    Star anise


     1    Cinnamon stick


     4 md Parsnips cut in 2-inch


          -chunks


     2 ts Salt


     1 lb Beef sirloin


     2    Scallions; thinly sliced


     1 tb Cilantro; chopped


     2 md Onions; thinly sliced


   1/4 c  Hot chili sauce


     1 lb Rice noodles 1/4-inch wide


          -(or banh pho)


   1/2 c  Nuoc mam (Vietnamese fish


          -sauce)


          Black pepper; freshly grnd.


     2 c  Fresh bean sprouts


     2    Fresh chili peppers; sliced


     2    Limes cut in wedges


     1 bn Fresh mint


     1 bn Fresh Asian or regular basil






 Soak bone overnight in cold water.  Place bones, oxtails and flank steak in


 a large stock pot.  Add water to cover and bring to a boil. Cook 10


 minutes, drain and rinse pot and bones. Return bones to pot, add 6 quarts


 water and bring to a boil.  Skim surface of scum and fat. Stir bones at


 bottom from time to time. Add 3 more quarts water, bring to a boil again


 and skim scum.  Lower heat and let simmer.  Char clove-studded onions,


 shallots, and ginger under a broiler until they release their fragrant


 odors.  Tie charred vegetables, star anise, and cinnamon stick in a thick,


 dampened cheesecloth.  Put it in stock with parsnips and salt. Simmer for
1


 hour. Remove flank steak and continue simmering broth, uncovered pot, for


 4-5 hours.  Add more water if level goes below bones.


 


 Meanwhile, slice beef sirloin against grain into paper-thin slices, about


 2-by-2 inches.  Slice flank steak the same way. Set aside. In a small bowl,


 combine scallions, cilantro, and half the sliced onions. Place remaining


 onions in another bowl and mix in hot chili sauce. Soak rice noodles in


 warm water for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.


 


 When broth is ready, discard bones.  Strain broth through a colander lined


 with a double layer of damp cheesecloth into a clean pot. Add fish sauce


 and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. In another pot, bring 4 quarts


 of water to a boil.  Add noodles and drain immediately. Do not overcook


 noodles. Divide among 4 large soup bowls. Top noodles with sliced meats.


 Bring broth to a rolling boil, then ladle into soup bowls. Garnish with


 scallions mixture and black pepper. Serve the onions in hot chili sauce and


 remaining ingredients on the side to add as desired. Also, you can add


 Hoisin sauce as a dip. Serves 4.


 


 Source: "The foods of Vietnam" by Nicole Routhier (Stewart, Tabori & Chang)


 


 From the rec.food.recipe archives. From: nguyenc@rtsg.mot.com (Chuong M.


 Nguyen)


 


 MM format by Judi M. Phelps. jphelps@shell.portal.com, juphelps@delphi.com,


 or jphelps@best.com


 


 From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini