Phở bò recipe

Rice noodles in a clear beef broth scented with charred onion, ginger and star anise, poured boiling over raw slices of beef.

4 hourshard19 ingredients

Ingredients

• 1500 g beef bones
• 400 g beef brisket
• 200 g beef sirloin
• 400 g flat rice noodles
• 2 onions
• 1 ginger
• 3 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 black cardamom
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 3 cloves
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp salt
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 4000 ml water
• 150 g bean sprouts
• 1 bunch thai basil
• 3 spring onions
• 1 lime

How to make Phở bò

1. Halve the 2 onions and the ginger lengthways and char them, cut side down, in a dry pan over high heat until blackened in places, a few minutes per side.
2. Toast the 3 star anise, cinnamon stick, black cardamom, 1 tbsp coriander seeds and 3 cloves in a dry pan for about 3 minutes, until fragrant.
3. Cover the 1.5 kg bones and 400 g brisket with water, boil hard for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse each piece; this is what keeps the broth clear.
4. Put the bones and brisket back in a clean pot with the 4 litres of water, the onion, ginger, spices, 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp salt. Simmer very gently for about 3 hours, skimming off any scum.
5. Lift out the brisket once it is tender, let it cool and slice it thinly. Strain the broth, discarding the bones and spices.
6. Season the broth with the 3 tbsp fish sauce, adjusting salt and sugar: it should taste beefy, fragrant and barely sweet. Keep it at a boil.
7. Slice the 200 g sirloin as thinly as you can. Cook the 400 g noodles as the packet says and divide between bowls.
8. Top the noodles with brisket and raw sirloin, ladle over the boiling broth to cook the beef, and serve with the 150 g bean sprouts, basil, sliced spring onions and lime wedges.

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