Here we come again with our Make it yourself series. Today, let’s see how to make a quick version at home of the most iconic Vietnamese dish, the Pho Bo. Vietnamese beef noodle pho is a combination of chewy noodles, savory broth, tender slices of beef, and some crunchy, spicy, herby garnishes we get to toss on top. The art of pho resides in the way to prepare the broth. A good broth made in the ancestral way takes hours, sometimes days, to prepare. Follow that easy recipe to make 4 to 6 piping hot bowls of pho.

 

5 easy step to make a quick-yet-delicious broth

Ingredients

2 large onions
4-inch piece fresh ginger
2 (3-inch) whole cinnamon sticks
2 whole star anise
3 whole cloves
2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds
6 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce (substitute tamari if making gluten-free)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
3 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

 

Step 1 | Prepare the onions and ginger: Peel the onions and cut them into quarters through the root. Peel the ginger and slice it into quarters down its length.

Step 2 | Char the onions and ginger: Using tongs, char the onions and ginger on all sides over high flame on a gas stove, or on a baking sheet placed directly under the broiler (about 5 minutes on each side) — until the onions and ginger pieces show charred spots. Rinse the pieces under cool water to remove any loose, gritty, overly charred bits.

Step 3 | Dry-roast the spices: Place the cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and coriander seeds in the bottom of a dry 2-quart saucepan and dry-roast over medium-low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until toasty and very fragrant. Stir frequently to prevent the spices from scorching.

Step 4 | Combine the broth ingredients: To the pan with the spices, add the broth, soy sauce, fish sauce, chopped carrots, and the charred onions and ginger.

Step 5 | Cover and simmer the broth: Bring the broth to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and continue simmering for 30 minutes to give time for all the spices and aromatics to infuse in the broth.

 

The choice of beef and the noodles

Top choices for beef pho are sirloin steak, round eye, or London broil. All of these are quick-cooking pieces of beef that won't leave you chewing for hours.

Ingredients

1/2 pound sirloin steak, round eye, or London broil
8 ounces dried rice noodles (banh pho, 1/16-, 1/8-, or 1/-4 inch wide)

 

Freeze the beef for 15 minutes: While the broth is simmering, put the beef on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze for 15 minutes. The edges of the beef should feel firm to the touch, but the beef should not be frozen through. This will make it easier to slice the beef thinly.

Slice the beef into thin slices: Remove the beef from the freezer and immediately use your sharpest knife to slice the beef into very thin slices. Slice across the grain, and aim for slices no thicker than 1/4-inch. Once sliced, keep the beef covered and refrigerated until ready to serve.

Cook the rice noodles: Bring a second saucepan of water to a boil, drop in the rice noodles and cook according to package instructions (typically 1 minute for very thin noodles and up to 4 minutes for wider noodles). Strain the noodles and run them under cool water to stop cooking. The noodles will start to stick together after cooking, so either divide them immediately between serving bowls or toss them with a little neutral-tasting oil to prevent sticking.

 

Build up the bowl

Ingredients

3 scallions
1 chili pepper (Thai bird, serrano, or jalapeño)
1 to 2 limes
1 cup bean sprouts
1 cup fresh herbs (cilantro, basil, Thai basil, mint, or a mix)
Hot sauce, Sriracha, or hoisin sauce, to serve

 

Prepare the rest of the pho toppings: Thinly slice the scallions and the chili pepper. Cut the lime into wedges. Place the bean sprouts in a serving dish. Roughly chop the herbs or tear them with your hands. Arrange all the toppings on a serving dish and place it on the table.

Strain the broth: When the broth is ready, set a strainer over another bowl or saucepan, and strain the solids from the broth. Discard the solids. Place the broth back over low heat and keep it just below a simmer — you should see a fair amount of steam, but the broth should not be boiling. The broth needs to be quite hot to cook the beef.

Prepare the pho bowls: If you haven't already done so, divide the noodles between serving bowls and top with a few slices of raw beef. Arrange the beef in a single layer so that the slices will cook evenly in the broth; slices that are stacked or clumped may not cook all the way through.

Ladle the hot broth over top: Ladle the steaming broth into each bowl, pouring it evenly over the beef in order to cook it. The beef should immediately start to turn opaque. Fill each bowl with as much broth as desired.

Serve the pho with toppings: Serve the pho at the table and let each person top their bowl as they like.

The little hint that helps: The broth can be prepared and kept refrigerated for 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months. So when making your broth, feel free to make a double or triple amount so it will be much less work next time you crave for Vietnamese noodles.