Beef Pho

Total Time: 4 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 4 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 2 lbs beef shank or 2 lbs beef brisket
• 1 lb oxtails or 1 lb beef bone
• 1 lb lean stewing beef, in one piece
• 2 ounces fat (e.g. lard)
• 1 large onion, with peel
• 3 ounces fresh ginger, with peel
• 5 star anise
• 1 teaspoon coriander seed
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• the stewing beef, thinly sliced
• 1/2 lb filet of beef, sliced thinly
• 1/2 lb rice vermicelli
• 1/2 lb bean sprouts
• 1 bunch shallot, sliced
• fresh red chile, chopped
• lime wedge
• hot chili sauce
• fresh mint leaves
• fresh coriander leaves
• fresh basil leaf

Recipe

• 1 tie up the stewing beef nicely.
• 2 put all the meats for the stock into a pan together with the fat, the sliced onion, star aniseed, cinnamon stick and ginger.
• 3 roast in a hot oven for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is well browned.
• 4 move everything to a large pot.
• 5 cover with water and bring to a boil.
• 6 skim.
• 7 add coriander seeds and pepper.
• 8 let simmer for at least three hours.
• 9 take up the stewing beef and let cool, then slice thinly.
• 10 strain the stock.
• 11 if made one day in advance; keep cool and remove the fat on the second day.
• 12 prepare the garnish: slice the (raw) fillet of beef thinly (as for carpaccio).
• 13 boil the noodles according to instructions on the package, then drain and rinse with cold water.
• 14 arrange the garnish (not the noodles; see below!) nicely on a big plate.
• 15 bring the stock to a boil, add fish sauce to taste.
• 16 when serving, put noodles and stewing meat either into a large serving bowl, or into individual soup bowls.
• 17 add stock and heat to boiling point (possibly in a micro-owen).
• 18 serve devilishly hot.
• 19 the guests put the garnish into their soup and the raw meat will be partially cooked from the heat of the stock.