Authentic Vietnamese Beef Pho (Pho Bo)
This Pho Recipe brings the deep, aromatic beef broth of Vietnam right into your own kitchen, no plane ticket required. The magic is all in the broth, a slow simmered blend of charred ginger, toasted spices, and beef bones that turns into something rich, clean, and impossible to stop sipping. Top it with rice noodles, thin slices of beef, and a big handful of fresh herbs, and you have a bowl that tastes like it came straight from a busy street stall in Hanoi.
Equipment
- 12 quart stockpot Essential for simmering the broth evenly for hours
- Fine-mesh strainer For a clear, restaurant style broth
- Cast iron skillet For charring onion and ginger
- Sharp chef's knife
- Cutting board
- Ladle
- Large pho soup bowls Wide rim bowls are best for noodles, broth, and toppings
Ingredients
- 3 pounds beef marrow bones about 1.4kg
- 2 pounds oxtail about 900g, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 1/2 pounds beef chuck roast about 680g
- 1 large yellow onion unpeeled and halved
- 4 ounces fresh ginger about 113g, halved lengthwise
- 1/4 cup fish sauce 60ml
- 4 whole star anise pods
- 4 whole whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 ounce rock sugar or 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (about 28g)
- Kosher salt to taste
- 1 pound eye of round beef or sirloin, thinly sliced (about 450g)
- 1 package dried rice vermicelli noodles 8 ounces or 227g
- 1 cup bean sprouts about 120g
- 1/2 cup fresh Thai basil leaves
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 1/4 cup white onion thinly sliced
- 2 limes cut into wedges
- Hoisin sauce for serving
- Sriracha sauce for serving
Instructions
- Char the onion and ginger in a dry cast iron skillet over medium high heat for 4-5 minutes per side until blackened, then rinse.
- Blanch the bones, oxtail, and chuck in boiling water for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse well to remove impurities.
- Toast star anise, cloves, cinnamon, and peppercorns in a dry skillet for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- Combine blanched bones, charred onion and ginger, toasted spices, and 6 quarts water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer for 3 hours, skimming foam regularly.
- Remove the beef chuck after 1 hour if fork tender, let cool, and slice thinly for serving.
- Strain the finished broth through a fine mesh strainer, discarding solids. Season with kosher salt and keep warm.
- Cook rice vermicelli noodles according to package directions, drain, and rinse with cold water.
- Divide noodles among bowls, top with cooked chuck and raw eye of round. Ladle hot broth over, and garnish with onion, bean sprouts, basil, and cilantro.
Notes
- Never let the broth boil hard once it reaches a simmer; a gentle simmer keeps it clear.
- Skim the broth often in the first hour when the most foam rises.
- Slice the raw beef as thin as possible so it cooks through in the hot broth.
- Char the onion and ginger fully; a light char will not give you the same smoky depth.
- Warm your serving bowls with hot water before ladling in the broth so it stays hotter longer.
- For chicken pho, swap the beef bones for a whole chicken and simmer for about 90 minutes.
- For vegetarian pho, use a mushroom and vegetable broth with the same spice blend.
- Store the strained broth in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze the broth in portioned containers for up to 3 months; freeze noodles separately.
- Reheat the broth in a pot over medium heat until it reaches a gentle simmer before adding fresh noodles.
Nutrition
Serving: 1BowlCalories: 420kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 28gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 980mgPotassium: 420mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 8IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 6mgIron: 20mg
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