Free recipe
Beef Pho
Built around flat rice noodles and beef stock -- the method starts by char the onion.
A deeply savory bowl of springy noodles, rich broth, and a jammy egg. Here it's built on flat rice noodles, beef stock and beef sirloin -- a medium, Asian recipe that starts by char the onion, and is ready in roughly 35 minutes.
A 35-minute cook time that's mostly hands-off simmering or roasting.
A few technique steps to focus on, but nothing that needs special equipment.
Built around flat rice noodles, so the flavor comes from real ingredients, not a spice packet.
Ingredients
- 8 oz (225 g) flat rice noodles
- 6 cups beef stock
- 8 oz (225 g) beef sirloin, very thinly sliced (freeze 20 minutes first for easy slicing)
- 1 onion, halved
- 2-inch piece ginger, halved
- 2 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 cloves
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- To serve: bean sprouts, fresh basil, lime, sliced chili
Nutrition (estimated, per serving)
Calculated from this recipe's own ingredient list; treat as an estimate, not a lab measurement.
Method
Char the onion and ginger: hold them over a flame or in a dry hot pan until blackened in spots, 3-4 minutes. This gives pho its deep flavor.
Add the charred onion and ginger to the stock with the star anise, cinnamon, and cloves. Simmer gently 30 minutes, then strain out the spices.
Stir the fish sauce into the broth and keep it at a strong simmer.
Soak the rice noodles in hot water per the packet until soft, then drain and divide between two deep bowls.
Lay the raw thinly sliced beef over the noodles.
Ladle the boiling-hot broth directly over the beef - the heat cooks the thin slices in seconds.
Serve with a plate of bean sprouts, basil, lime, and chili to add at the table.
The step worth not rushing: Add the charred onion and ginger to the stock with the star anise, cinnamon, and cloves. Simmer gently 30 minutes, then strain out the spices.
