Vietnamese Pho

Ingredients

• 2 large onions, halved
• 150g ginger, sliced down the center
• 10 star anise
• 4 cinnamon quills
• 4 cardamom pods
• 3 whole cloves
• 1½ tbsp coriander seeds
• 1.5kg beef brisket
• 1kg meaty beef bones
• 1kg marrow bones, cut to reveal marrow
• 3.5 liters water
• 2 tbsp white sugar
• 1 tbsp salt
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 50g dried rice sticks per bowl
• 30g beef tenderloin per bowl, raw, very thinly sliced
• 3–5 brisket slices per bowl
• Bean sprouts
• Thai basil sprigs
• Cilantro sprigs
• Lime wedges
• Finely sliced red chili
• Hoisin sauce
• Sriracha

Instructions

1. Heat a heavy-based skillet over high heat until smoking. Place onion and ginger cut side down and cook for a few minutes until charred, then turn. Remove and set aside.
2. Toast the star anise, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and coriander seeds in a dry skillet over medium-high heat for 3 minutes.
3. Rinse bones and brisket, then cover with water in a large stock pot. Boil for 5 minutes, then drain. Rinse each bone and brisket under tap water.
4. Wipe pot clean and bring 3.5 liters of water to a boil. Add bones, brisket, charred onion, ginger, toasted spices, sugar, and salt. Water should just barely cover everything.
5. Cover with lid and simmer for 3 hours.
6. Remove brisket (should be fall-apart tender), cool, then refrigerate for later.
7. Simmer remaining soup uncovered for 40 minutes.
8. Strain broth into another pot, discarding bones and spices. Should yield about 2.5 liters. If much more, reduce.
9. Add fish sauce and adjust salt and sugar if needed. Broth should be beefy, fragrant with spices, savory, and barely sweet.
10. Prepare rice noodles per packet directions just prior to serving.
11. Place noodles in bowl. Top with raw sliced beef and brisket slices.
12. Ladle about 400ml hot broth over the meat, which will cook the raw beef to medium rare.
13. Serve with bean sprouts, Thai basil, cilantro, lime wedges, sliced chili, hoisin sauce, and sriracha on the side.