Authentic Beef Pho Recipe

Ingredients

• 5 pounds beef soup bones
• 1 tablespoon salt, divided
• 2 gallons water
• 2 medium onions, quartered
• 1 (4 inch) piece fresh ginger root
• 2 pounds beef oxtail
• 1 white (daikon) radish, sliced
• 2 ounces whole star anise pods
• 0.5 (3 inch) cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• salt to taste
• 1.5 pounds dried flat rice noodles
• 0.5 pound frozen beef sirloin

Instructions

1. Gather all the necessary ingredients for making beef pho.
2. Make the broth: Place beef bones in a large pot (9-quart or bigger); season with 1 teaspoon of salt. Add water to the pot and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and let the broth simmer gently for about 2 hours.
3. While the broth simmers, position an oven rack approximately 6 inches below the broiler and preheat it. Cover a 10x15-inch roasting pan with aluminum foil.
4. Place the onions and unpeeled ginger on the prepared roasting pan and broil in the preheated oven, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are nicely charred, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Let the roasted vegetables cool slightly. Chop the onions, then peel and slice the ginger; set them aside separately.
6. Skim off any fat from the surface of the simmering broth. Add the oxtail, radish, and charred onions to the broth. Tie the charred ginger, anise, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, and cloves in cheesecloth to create a bouquet garni; add this to the broth. Stir in the sugar, fish sauce, and the remaining 2 teaspoons of salt. Simmer over medium-low heat for a minimum of 4 hours (longer simmering enhances the flavor). Adjust the seasoning with additional salt to taste.
7. Strain the broth to remove solids. Discard the bones and bouquet garni. Reserve the meat from the bones for later use. Allow the broth to cool and then refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
8. Remove the chilled broth from the refrigerator and skim off any solidified fat from the surface. Pour the broth into a pot and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and keep the broth hot until serving.
9. Bring a pot of water to a boil for the noodles. Turn off the heat. Add the rice noodles to the hot water and let them soak until they are tender yet slightly chewy, about 6 to 10 minutes.
10. While the noodles are soaking, thinly slice the partially frozen sirloin into paper-thin pieces.
11. Drain the noodles and divide them among serving bowls, approximately 1 1/2 cups per bowl. Top each bowl with a generous portion of the thinly sliced sirloin. Ladle the hot broth over the sirloin and noodles.
12. Serve immediately and enjoy your delicious homemade beef pho!

Nutrition

• Calories: 885 kcal
• Fat Content: 24 g
• Fiber Content: 3 g
• Sodium Content: 1745 mg
• Protein Content: 61 g
• Cholesterol Content: 174 mg
• Carbohydrate Content: 102 g
• Saturated Fat Content: 9 g
• Unsaturated Fat Content: 0 g