Beef Pho

I love pho, and even thought there are two Vietnamese restaurants within 5 minutes of my house, it's really nice to be able to make at home on a chilly night.   I went a little overboard and made my own bone broth, but you can easily start with pre-made broth. Broth can also easily be made ahead of time and/or frozen. 

Don't be intimidated by the number of ingredients or steps. As long as the broth is ready, I can put this together in less than 30 minutes.

Beef Pho

Ingredients:

The Broth:

• 3-4 pounds of beef bones
• 4-6 quarts of water
• 1 onion, cut in half
• 4 inches fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
• 2 pods star anise
• 4 whole cloves
• 2 whole cinnamon sticks
• 2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds
• 2 ½ tablespoons fish sauce

The Soup:

• Medium rice noodles (about 1/4 inch wide, not vermicelli or wide noodles)
• 1 to 1 ½ pounds very, thinly sliced steak (such as top sirloin, flank, London broil)

Garnishes:

• Fresh Bean Sprouts
• Fresh herbs such as: Thai Basil. Cilantro, Parsley, Fresh Mint
• Lime Wedges
• Jalapeño slices
• Chopped green onion

Condiments:

• Chile-garlic sauce, such as Sriracha 
• Hoisin sauce

Instructions:

Broth (see Note 1)

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 
• Place beef bones on a baking sheet and roast until browned, 30-60 minutes.
• Place onion and ginger on a baking sheet on highest rack in your oven and char on each side until blackened and soft.
• Put roasted beef bones and water in a stock pot. Bring to a boil and simmer on low from 24-48 hours. The longer you can cook it the more depth and flavor your broth will have. 
• For the last 6 to 8 hours, add the roasted onion and ginger and spices to flavor the broth. I simmered mine for 18 hours and then added the onions and spices for an additional 8 hours. 
• Strain the broth into a pan and set aside  (See Note 2).
• You can freeze any extra broth for future use.

Soup:

• Cook noodles according to instructions drain, and divide into bowls. 
• Top the noodles with the raw beef slices top with the hot broth. Stir and let sit until beef is no longer pink, 1 to 2 minutes (See Note 3).
• Set a plate at the table so individuals can add the bean sprouts, the fresh herbs, lime wedges, and sliced jalapenos as they desire. Also provide sriracha and/or hoisin sauce. (See Note 4).

Notes: 

1. If you don't want to make your own broth you can always use 6 cups store-bought beef broth (or chicken or veggie, if you prefer) and add the charred vegetables and spices and simmer for at least one hour, or in a crockpot for 3-4 hours or more.
2. If there is a lot of marrow your broth may be greasy. You may want to cool the broth before serving and remove the hardened fat from the top.
3. For variety, I often add fresh broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. You can place bite-size pieces on top of the beef before you pour over the broth. 
4. This dish should be served with the bean sprouts, herbs, and lime. To me, the are definitely key to the experience. The rest are optional and to taste. I add all listed, because I like mine spicy!