Beef Pho Recipe

Ingredients :

1 kg (2 lb) Beef shin bones 350g Gravy beef 6 cm Thinly sliced fresh ginger 1 teaspoon Salt or to taste 2.5 liters Water 2 tablespoons Fish sauce 400g Thick fresh rice noodles 150g Rump steak, thinly sliced 3 Spring onions, finely chopped 1 medium Onion, very thinly sliced Herbs & Spices 6 Peppercorns 1 Cinnamon stick 4 Cloves 6 Coriander seeds Toppings Chopped red chili, bean sprouts, fresh purple basil leaves, chopped spring onion, thin lime wedges, fresh coriander leaves.

Method : Place the bones, gravy beef, ginger, salt and water in a large pan. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer very gently, uncovered, for 3 1/2 hours. Skim off any scum that forms on the surface. Add in the herbs & spices like peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, coriander seeds and fish sauce. Then cook for another 40 minutes. Remove the gravy beef and set it aside to cool. Drain the stock, reserving all the liquid and discarding the bones and spices; return the liquid to the pan. When the gravy beef is cool enough to handle, cut it against the grain into very fine slices. Set aside. Close to serving time, plunge the noodles into a pan of boiling water and cook them for about 10 seconds only, otherwise they will soften and fall apart. Drain the noodles well and divide them among large individual soup bowls. Arrange the toppings on a platter in the center of the table. Bring the beef stock to a rapid boil. Place some slices of the cooked meat as well as a few slices of the raw steak into each bowl of noodles. Ladle the boiling stock over the top, sprinkle over the spring onion, and onion slices and serve. Each diner chooses their own toppings and can also add sauces such as sweet chili sauce and hoisin sauce to their dish.