Pho



A delicious, fragrant bowl of Pho.



I’m in love with the romance of Pho. When you hear people, particularly the Vietnamese, talk of Pho it is proclaimed an ambrosial broth that when shared, can heal the wounds of political difference and bring a group together through the communal joy of its fragrant steam.

Then, there are  the recipes. I think there must be as many versions of Pho as there are families in Vietnam, and if that isn’t enough, each bowl is then finished by its ‘eater’ making each serving exclusive to the diner; each experience utterly unique.  

My husband raves about Pho, my brothers rave about Pho and many of my east-London-dwelling mates rave about Pho, but alas I often find myself disappointed. The delivered bowl often stops short of my expectations. Even the heralded Song Que was a bit, well… meh!

I want to eat a bowl served from the kitchen of a house in Hanoi, handed to me by someone’s wrinkly, smiling granny, her eyes twinkling with the knowledge that I will be won-over by her 100-year-old recipe. I just know the right bowl is out there for me!

Alas, I have no plans to travel to Vietnam soon, so my husband decided I would have to do it myself, and so one Friday night at the start of June, he decided Pho would be my weekly culinary challenge.

First, some history; it is generally agreed that Pho has both Chinese and French influences and first appeared about 100 years ago, as cooks in Hanoi tried to satisfy both Vietnamese and French tastes. Before the French arrived in Vietnam, cattle were working animals and not often used in cooking. Making the basic broth is similar to making a classic beef consommé, and like consommé, clarity of liquor is crucial. It is argued that the name (pronounced Feu) comes from the French word ‘feu’ (fire), as in the dish 'pot-au-feu', which like Pho, adds a charred o­nion to colour and flavour the broth. It’s not all potage française however, as Pho also contains the staples of Chinese noodle soups such as rice vermicelli, star anise and cinnamon.

To make my version I read; Didier Corlou ,Charmiane Solomon, Leluu, Diana My Tran and countless blogs dedicated to the love of Pho, and it went like this…



ingredients for a Pho stock.

For the Stock.

You will need a large stock pot

1 x onion

1 x 10cm stick of ginger, peeled.

4 x star anise

90g palm sugar

1 tsp black pepper corns

2 large pieces of ox tail

1.5 kg meaty beef rib (on bone)

5 tbs fish sauce

4 x cardamom

1 x cinnamon stick

½ tsp salt

no beansprouts today due to German ecoli crisis :(

To Garnish.

300g beef fillet

Bean sprouts

Sweet Basil

Mint

Spring onions

Mouli radish

Coriander

4-5 red chilis, chopped

Bottle of Sriracha Chili Sauce (available at asian grocers)

Put the beef in the pot and cover with water, bring to the boil and keep on a slow boil for 10minutes, then drain and discard the water, rinse the meat, give the pot a quick wipe and rinse out, to remove all the scum.

Put the beef back in the pot, refill with water and bring back to the boil. This step helps make a clear broth, if more scum forms skim it off.

char the onions and ginger

Meanwhile peel your onion and cut it and your ginger in half length-wise. Heat a fry pan over a high heat and put the onion and ginger in to char. No oil is required, turn the onion and ginger as required until they start to burn, you want nice blackened edges (see picture). Add these, along with all the other broth ingredients (except the fish sauce) to the pot, cover and keep on a low simmer for about an hour. Now taste, and season as required (more salt, palm sugar? Feel free to remove any of the spices if you think one flavour is becoming more dominant – I removed all but 1 star anise at this point).

Now the meat should have all fallen away from the rib bones, remove it from the pot and leave it in a container to cool. This will be sliced up and put back in the pot later. The rib bones and ox tail remain and the pot needs to simmer for at least 2 hours but all day is better. At this point, the stock is basically done and you can leave it over night if needs be.

Once the broth cools some fat may solidify on the surface, and you can easily scoop this out. When you are ready to serve you simply reheat the broth, put the sliced beef (from the rib) back in the pot and season with the fish sauce (if you add this while making the stock you will have a stinky house) taking care to taste as you add it. Remember fish sauce will be on the table, so it’s best not to make it too salty as each diner can season to taste.

Now prepare your condiments. Grate a mouli radish and pile onto a plate along with a mountain of bean sprouts, chopped spring onions, sweet basil, mint and coriander, flank this plate with 2 bowls; 1 of lime wedges and 1 of chopped red chilies. All that’s missing now is the essential Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce and the fish sauce.

add the noodles and beef fillet

Prepare your rice noodles according to the instructions (usually a quick bath in boiling water), and slice your beef fillet as thinly as you possibly can. Now half-fill your bowls with the noodles and scatter the beef slices on top and fill the bowls with the aromatic broth, ensuring each bowl gets its share of meat. Serve to your drooling guests and let them finish the dish themselves, creating a secret gastronomic experience that will never be quite the same again. I’ve got to say, this blew me away. I am converted to the cult of Pho!



Add the broth



garnish and eat!