Vietnamese Beef Phở

Ingredients

• 800g Beef bones (knuckle or marrow), Ask butcher for beef bones; can be meaty or bare
• 400g Beef sirloin or chuck steak, For serving; sliced thinly after cooking
• 1 large Onion, Halved; used to flavour broth
• 40g Fresh ginger, Unpeeled; roughly crushed
• 3 Whole star anise, Whole pods
• 1 small Cinnamon stick, Whole piece
• 1 tsp Coriander seeds, Whole seeds
• 2 tbsp Fish sauce, Pure fish sauce only (no added ingredients)
• 2 litres Water, Cold filtered water
• 1 tsp Sea salt, To taste
• 1/2 tsp Black pepper, Ground
• 1 bunch Fresh coriander, Roughly chopped; for serving
• 1 small bunch Fresh mint, Whole leaves; for serving
• 2 Lime, Cut into wedges; for serving
• 2 Red chilli, Sliced thin; for serving
• 300g Rice noodles (bánh phở), Dried rice noodles; cook separately per packet
• 1 tbsp Light olive oil, For toasting spices

Method

1. Blanch beef bones and steak in a large pot of boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear. Rinse the pot and return clean bones and beef steak to it.
2. Place a dry heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium-high heat. Toast the star anise, cinnamon stick, and coriander seeds in the dry pan for 1-2 minutes, shaking frequently, until fragrant. Transfer to a small bowl.
3. Cut the onion in half. Place the frying pan over high heat, add 1 tbsp light olive oil, then char the cut-side of the onion halves for 4-5 minutes until golden and blackened. Also char the crushed ginger pieces for 2 minutes. Transfer to the pot with the bones and beef.
4. Add 2 litres of cold water to the pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low. Add the toasted spices, 1 tsp sea salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
5. Simmer gently, partially covered, for 90 minutes. Skim any foam that rises to the surface in the first 10-15 minutes. The broth should be clear and fragrant.
6. Remove the beef steak with tongs and set aside on a board to cool slightly. Strain the broth through a fine sieve into a clean pot, discarding bones and solids. Add 2 tbsp fish sauce to the broth and stir well. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
7. When the beef steak is cool enough to handle, slice it thinly against the grain using a sharp knife.
8. Cook rice noodles according to packet directions (usually 4-5 minutes in boiling water). Drain and divide among four bowls.
9. Bring the broth back to a gentle simmer. Arrange sliced beef on top of noodles in each bowl. Pour hot broth over until bowls are two-thirds full. Serve with coriander leaves, mint leaves, lime wedges, and sliced red chilli on the side so each person can add as desired.

Batch cooking tip

• Make a larger batch of broth (double the recipe) and freeze in 500ml containers for up to 3 months. Cook rice noodles fresh just before serving to prevent sogginess. Arrange fresh herbs and chilli in small bowls so diners can customise their bowls. This scales well: multiply all ingredients by the batch size needed and adjust pot size accordingly.