Vietnamese · Free recipe
Beef Pho with Charred Aromatics
Onion and ginger blackened over an open flame, plus toasted star anise, cinnamon, and cloves, perfume a clear beef bone broth that simmers for hours. Rice noodles and paper-thin raw sirloin cook right in the bowl when the steaming broth is poured over.
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 5 hr
- Total
- 5 hr 45 min
- Serves
- 6
- Level
- Hard
Method
-
Cover the bones with cold water in a large stockpot, bring to a hard boil for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse the bones and pot well to remove scum.
-
Char the onions and ginger directly over a gas flame or under the broiler for 8 to 10 minutes, turning, until blackened all over. Rinse off any loose ash.
-
Toast the star anise, cinnamon, cloves, and coriander in a dry skillet for 2 minutes, until fragrant, then tie them in a piece of cheesecloth.
-
Return the bones to the clean pot with the brisket, charred aromatics, spice bundle, and 5 quarts of cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to the barest simmer, skimming the surface often.
-
After 1 1/2 hours, remove the brisket, plunge it into cold water for 10 minutes, then refrigerate. Remove the spice bundle at the same time so it does not overpower the broth.
-
Continue simmering the bones for 3 more hours, then strain the broth through a fine sieve. Season with fish sauce, sugar, and salt until it tastes rich and slightly sweet.
-
Soak and cook the noodles according to the package, drain, and divide among large bowls. Top with thin slices of cooked brisket and raw sirloin.
-
Bring the broth back to a rolling boil and ladle it over the bowls so the raw beef turns pink-gray. Serve with bean sprouts, basil, and lime on the side.
Zest note from the test kitchen
Freeze the sirloin for 30 to 45 minutes before slicing; firm but not frozen solid, it cuts thin enough for the boiling broth to cook it through in seconds.
