Pho Vietnam, widely known as Vietnamese noodle soup, is a highlight of Vietnamese culinary. Pho is also considered as one of the most popular street food in almost all big cities of Vietnam such as Hanoi, Halong, Nam Dinh, and Ho Chi Minh City. Up to now, there has been no dish that can represent the essence of Vietnamese cuisine like pho.Dict Phở
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Pho Vietnam, widely known as Vietnamese noodle soup, is a highlight of Vietnamese culinary. Pho is also considered as one of the most popular street food in almost all big cities of Vietnam such as Hanoi, Halong, Nam Dinh, and Ho Chi Minh City. Up to now, there has been no dish that can represent the essence of Vietnamese cuisine like pho.They call it comfort food. Soul food, even. They call it Vietnam’s answer to fast food; a calumny, in our opinion. They call it beef noodle soup, and such it is, but so much more. It is Vietnam in a bowl.
Pronounced ‘fer’ (say ‘fur’ with a soft ‘r’, which is as close as we can come to the correct pronunciation), it is beef noodle soup raised to the nth degree. You can have pho everywhere in Vietnam, but it is almost a cult in Hanoi. According to Vietnamese writer Vu Bang, “to many persons, pho is no longer a dish. They are simply addicted to it, like tobacco addicts”. A bowl of pho begins its Mayfly life the day before you eat it. A long, slow simmering of beef shinbones, oxtails and scraps of meat in a great deep pot brings into being a rich, clear consomme. This process alone takes about 24 hours if it is to be done right. The alchemist cooks add their herbs, their spices, their family secrets. Chief among them, and you will always know the aroma of pho by them, are star anise, ginger and cinnamon.
Pronounced ‘fer’ (say ‘fur’ with a soft ‘r’, which is as close as we can come to the correct pronunciation), it is beef noodle soup raised to the nth degree. You can have pho everywhere in Vietnam, but it is almost a cult in Hanoi. According to Vietnamese writer Vu Bang, “to many persons, pho is no longer a dish. They are simply addicted to it, like tobacco addicts”. A bowl of pho begins its Mayfly life the day before you eat it. A long, slow simmering of beef shinbones, oxtails and scraps of meat in a great deep pot brings into being a rich, clear consomme. This process alone takes about 24 hours if it is to be done right. The alchemist cooks add their herbs, their spices, their family secrets. Chief among them, and you will always know the aroma of pho by them, are star anise, ginger and cinnamon.
How to make Pho (Beef Noodle Soup)
Ingredients Beef Broth
1.5kg oxtail, chopped into sections
1.5kg beef shanks
3.5I water
3 pieces fresh ginger, each 2.5cm long, unpeeled
1 large yellow onion, unpeeled and cut in half
4 shallots, unpeeled
500g Chinese radishes, cut into 5cm chunks
3 carrots, unpeeled, cut into chunks
4 whole star anise
6 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
'A cup (60ml) Vietnamese fish sauce
salt
Beef, Rice Noodles and Accompaniments
250g beef round, in one piece and at least 5cm thick 500g dried flat rice stick noodles, 6mm wide
1 large yellow onion
2 spring onions (scallions)
2 fresh small red chillies
1 cup (30g) fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves
'A cup (15g) fresh mint leaves
1 lime, cut into 6 wedges
To make the broth, combine the oxtail, beef shanks and water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, preheat a broiler (griller). Place the ginger, onion and shallots on a baking sheet and broil (grill), turning frequently, until browned on all sides, 1-2 minutes. Set aside. When the water reaches a boil, using a large spoon or a wire skimmer, skim off the scum from the surface until the liquid is clear of all foam, about 10 minutes. Add the browned flavourings and the radishes, carrots, star anise, cloves and cinnamon to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover partially and simmer gently for 3'A hours to concentrate the flavour. Remove from the heat and let cool. Strain the broth through a sieve into a bowl, discarding the contents of the sieve. Let stand until the fat rises to the surface. Using a large spoon, skim off the fat and discard. Add the fish sauce and salt to taste. You should have about 8 cups (21) of liquid.
Meanwhile, soak the dried rice noodles: place them in a large bowl with warm water to cover and stand until soft and pliable, about 20
Pho 33
minutes. Drain and set aside. Cut the beef across the grain into paper-thin
slices about 5cm wide by 7.5cm long. Set aside.
To serve, bring the broth to a boil. Reduce the heatto low to keep the
broth warm. Thinly slice the onion and spring onions and the chillies;
set aside.
Bring a large pot three-quarters full of water to a boil. Add the
noodles and boil until tender, about 1 minute. Drain and divide the
noodles evenly among 6 soup bowls. Top each evenly with the onions,
a few slices of the beef and some chillies. Ladle the hot broth over the
top. Garnish with the coriander and mint. Serve with lime wedges.
Serves 6
Ingredients Beef Broth
1.5kg oxtail, chopped into sections
1.5kg beef shanks
3.5I water
3 pieces fresh ginger, each 2.5cm long, unpeeled
1 large yellow onion, unpeeled and cut in half
4 shallots, unpeeled
500g Chinese radishes, cut into 5cm chunks
3 carrots, unpeeled, cut into chunks
4 whole star anise
6 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
'A cup (60ml) Vietnamese fish sauce
salt
Beef, Rice Noodles and Accompaniments
250g beef round, in one piece and at least 5cm thick 500g dried flat rice stick noodles, 6mm wide
1 large yellow onion
2 spring onions (scallions)
2 fresh small red chillies
1 cup (30g) fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves
'A cup (15g) fresh mint leaves
1 lime, cut into 6 wedges
To make the broth, combine the oxtail, beef shanks and water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, preheat a broiler (griller). Place the ginger, onion and shallots on a baking sheet and broil (grill), turning frequently, until browned on all sides, 1-2 minutes. Set aside. When the water reaches a boil, using a large spoon or a wire skimmer, skim off the scum from the surface until the liquid is clear of all foam, about 10 minutes. Add the browned flavourings and the radishes, carrots, star anise, cloves and cinnamon to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover partially and simmer gently for 3'A hours to concentrate the flavour. Remove from the heat and let cool. Strain the broth through a sieve into a bowl, discarding the contents of the sieve. Let stand until the fat rises to the surface. Using a large spoon, skim off the fat and discard. Add the fish sauce and salt to taste. You should have about 8 cups (21) of liquid.
Meanwhile, soak the dried rice noodles: place them in a large bowl with warm water to cover and stand until soft and pliable, about 20
Pho 33
minutes. Drain and set aside. Cut the beef across the grain into paper-thin
slices about 5cm wide by 7.5cm long. Set aside.
To serve, bring the broth to a boil. Reduce the heatto low to keep the
broth warm. Thinly slice the onion and spring onions and the chillies;
set aside.
Bring a large pot three-quarters full of water to a boil. Add the
noodles and boil until tender, about 1 minute. Drain and divide the
noodles evenly among 6 soup bowls. Top each evenly with the onions,
a few slices of the beef and some chillies. Ladle the hot broth over the
top. Garnish with the coriander and mint. Serve with lime wedges.
Serves 6