Pho (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)

Have you ever had pho? If not, then I recommend that the next time you're craving soup, you head to a local Vietnamese restaurant and try a bowl. Pho is fairly simple in that it is a bowl of rice noodles topped with raw beef that's cooked upon addition of rapidly boiling beef broth. It's served with a plate full of garnishes often including Thai basil, cilantro, bean sprouts, green onions, hot peppers, lime wedges, and sauces like hoisin or sriracha. The secret to a delicious pho is not as simple because it is the creation of a flavorful broth. To master pho, you need a supply of beef bones and patience.

All week long, I've been craving pho. That usually isn't a problem because just the mention of it has C ready to jump in the car and head to our favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Houston. If I mention pho and we don't go for pho right away, C won't stop talking about it until we go (this has been known to last for weeks on end). Unfortunately, C's dinner calendar for the week was booked with activities for his global health residency program, so I was on my own. We'd just frozen a few steaks, so I decided to thaw them for pho. I'm not keen on using beef bones, so here is a simpler version for the everyday home cook.

Objective
Make homemade pho based on a recipe from Asian: Tasty recipes for Every Day, but using common pantry ingredients.

Materials
4 cups beef broth/stock (I used Better Than Bouillon)
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cinnamon stick
6 black peppercorns
4 whole cloves
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. fish sauce
1/2 pound beef steak (any kind will work), thinly sliced
1 pkg. rice noodles (thin or thick, your preference)

Optional garnishes:
Bean sprouts
Cilantro
Thai basil
Carrot, julienned
Green onion, thinly sliced
Jalapeño/serrano, thinly sliced (can de-seed for less heat)
Lime wedges
Hoisin sauce
Sriracha

Methods
1. To make the broth: Combine beef broth, ginger, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, cloves, coriander, Chinese five-spice, salt, and fish stock in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Add half of the thinly sliced beef (return the rest to the fridge) and simmer for 40 minutes. Taste the broth and adjust the spices if needed. Keep the broth at a rapid boil while you prepare the noodles.
2. To prepare the noodles: Bring a pot of water to boil and prepare the noodles according to the directions on the package. Once the noodles are soft, drain and rinse briefly with water. Divide the noodles into 4 serving bowls and top with the uncooked beef that remains. If you're cooking for fewer than 4, put the extra raw beef into a storage container then ladle over the remaining beef broth to cook the meat. Once cool, refrigerate. Store the leftover noodles in a separate container to prevent them from sucking up all of the broth.
3. To serve: Immediately prior to serving, ladle broth over the noodles and raw beef (make sure the broth covers the beef so that it can cook). Serve with a plate of garnishes.

Results
When C got home from his global health event, he took one bite, and said that this was the best homemade pho broth he's ever had. The broth was very flavorful and the meat that was cooked in the bowl right at the last minute was incredibly tender and delicious.

Discussion and Future Directions
The recipe we've used in the past is from Cooking Light. It satisfies the craving, but it isn't nearly as good as this recipe. If you spend the time needed to simmer the broth, you will be rewarded! Without a doubt, this is our new go-to pho recipe (I just can't tell C that it has fish sauce in it because he's a little squeamish with the stuff).

Supplementary Materials