Vietnamese Pho

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Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 2 large onions
  • 150g / 5oz ginger
  • 10 star anise
  • 4 cinnamon quills
  • 4 cardamom pods
  • 3 spice cloves
  • 1½ tbsp coriander seeds
  • 1.5kg / 3lb beef brisket
  • 1kg / 2lb meaty beef bones
  • 1kg / 2lb marrow bones (leg, knuckle), cut to reveal marrow
  • 3.5 liters / 3.75 quarts water (15 cups)
  • 2 tbsp white sugar
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 40 ml / 3 tbsp fish sauce
  • 50g / 1.5 oz dried rice sticks (or 120g/4oz fresh)
  • 30g / 1 oz beef tenderloin, raw, very thinly sliced
  • 3-5 brisket slices (used for broth)
  • Beansprouts, handful
  • Thai basil, 3-5 sprigs
  • Coriander / cilantro, 3-5 sprigs (or more basil)
  • Lime wedges
  • Finely sliced red chili
  • Hoisin sauce
  • Sriracha sauce

Directions — Aromatics

Directions

  1. Heat a heavy-based skillet over high heat (no oil) until smoking.
  2. Place onion and ginger in pan cut side down. Cook for a few minutes until charred, then turn. Remove and set aside.
  3. Toast spices lightly in a dry skillet over medium-high heat for 3 minutes.

Directions — Remove Impurities

Directions

  1. Rinse bones and brisket, then cover with water in a large stock pot.
  2. Boil for 5 minutes, then drain.
  3. Rinse each bone and brisket under tap water.

Directions — Broth

Directions

  1. Wipe pot clean, bring 3.75 quarts water to boil.
  2. Add bones and brisket, onion, ginger, spices, sugar, and salt — water should just barely cover everything.
  3. Cover with lid, simmer 3 hours.
  4. Remove brisket (should be fall-apart tender), cool then refrigerate for later.
  5. Simmer remaining soup UNCOVERED for 40 minutes.
  6. Strain broth into another pot, discard bones and spices. Should be about 2.65 quarts (10 cups); if loads more, reduce.
  7. Add fish sauce, adjust salt and sugar if needed. Broth should be beefy, fragrant with spices, savory and barely sweet.

Directions — Assemble

Directions

  1. Prepare rice noodles per packet, just prior to serving.
  2. Place noodles in bowl. Top with raw beef and brisket.
  3. Ladle over about 400ml / 14 oz hot broth — will cook beef to medium rare.
  4. Serve with toppings on the side!

Rice Field products for this recipe

Slice our bò viên beef meatballs or beef tendon meatballs into the bowl for a classic phở bò viên.

Shop: Myriad Foods Beef Meatballs, Myriad Foods Beef Tendon Meatballs