PHO

Pho

It is one of the most delicious soups out there! Boiling hot bone broth gets poured over thinly sliced raw beef, vegetables and rice noodles. The broth is tangy fatty and unctuous. This is truly one of the best meals you can have. This recipe takes 48 hours to make (or 24 hours if you let it simmer over night.) While it might take a long time to make it is so impossibly easy you will want to make it every week!

ingredients:

4 turkey wings (if you have chicken bones from a roasted chicken add them as well)

2 large carrots

2 large onion

1 large leek

4 stalks of celery

1 head of garlic

Lemon grass

Bay leaf

A gallon bag full of vegetable scraps (explained below)

1 medium hand of ginger

1 small finger of turmeric

2 star anise

2 cinnamon sticks

1 tsp whole cloves

1 tbsp black pepper corns

Fish sauce

Dark soy sauce

Soy sauce

Rice vinegar

Chilies

Cilantro

Bean sprouts

Scallions

Hoisin sauce

2 lbs lean steaks (NY strips work well)

Rice noodles

method:

The few days to a week before you want to make the soup save your vegetables trimmings. Don’t save potato skins or soft vegetables as they won’t go well in your stock but do save asparagus stems, bell pepper harts, onion skins, garlic papers, herb stems, etc.

To start your soup turn your oven to the highest it will go and on a baking sheet place your wings and chicken bones if you have them. Now we aren’t trying to cook the meat we just want it to be browned so leave it in the oven till it’s golden brown and delicious. Once browned remove and place in the largest stock pot you have. Add a water till the water line covers the meat and it lies only 1 inch from the top of the pot. Now scrape any brown bits off the pan and and into the stock and then bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 5 min this will allow any scum to rise to the surface. Just take a ladle and skim it heavily. Once skimmed reduce the heat and allow to simmer covered for 12 hours. I know it’s a long time but it is totally worth it. Just place the pot on your lowest burner on its lowest setting and go about your day.

At the end of 12 hours remove the turkey and chicken. I personally don’t like leaving my stove on over night so I let it cool then place it in the fridge.

The next morning remove from your fridge and place on to your smallest burner on its lowest flame and allow to slowly come up to a simmer. While the temperature is rising add in your carrots , one of the onions, leaks, celery, ginger, and turmeric copped into large chunks. Also add 1 head of garlic bisected along its equator, some lemon grass that you have brushed and cracked with the back of your knife, 2-3 bay leafs, and your spices. Allow to simmer covered for another 12 hours.

After the 12 hours remove as many large pieces of vegetables then strain through a fine mesh sieve optionally lined with cheese cloth.

Now it’s time to season the broth. Begin by tasting your broth to get a base line. Add about 1/4 cup of fish sauce and 1/4 cup dark soy sauce. (I say about because each stock needs a different amount of salt.) Taste your broth again, it should be getting close, now add more regular soy sauce to taste (mine was about 3-4 tablespoons). Lastly add roughly 3 tablespoons of rice vinegar and stir to combine.

serving:

You can serve your pho with quite a few different toppings here is what I like: chilies, garlic pickle, scallions, onions, and steak.

For the chilies, scallions and onions simply chop finely and serve separately.

The garlic pickle is super easy simply slice 4-5 cloves of garlic paper thin (like Godfather thin) and mix with 1 tbsp rice vinegar and 1 tbsp cilantro. Allow to sit for at least 15 min.

For the beef by placing your steaks in the freezer for 45 min, or until partially frozen. Then with a sharp knife cut the beef into 2mm thick slices and lay on a plate.

To plate your pho begin by placing some noodles in the bottom of the bowl. Add any of the toppings you like and ladle the boiling hot broth over the raw beef (this will cook the beef) and enjoy!!!