Vietnam · Soup · Ambitious
Phở bò
Hanoi-style beef noodle soup with a clear, long-simmered broth
Flat rice noodles in a clear beef-bone broth scented with charred onion, ginger and toasted star anise, topped with poached brisket and raw sirloin that cooks in the boiling broth. Blanching the bones first and simmering without a boil for six hours keeps the broth clean and deep, and the Hanoi way serves it with only spring onion, coriander, lime and chilli.
- Energy
- 775 kcalper serving
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 6 h 30 min
- Protein
- 53 g
How was it?
Equipment
- Stockpot (at least 10 l)
- Second large pot for blanching the bones and noodles
- Oven grill or a gas flame and tongs
- Small dry frying pan
- Muslin spice bag or a tea infuser
- Fine sieve lined with muslin
- Very sharp knife for slicing the beef
- Deep soup bowls (at least 750 ml), warmed
Before you start
- Halve the onions and ginger, keeping the skins on; they protect the flesh while it chars.
- Rinse the bones under cold water to remove bone dust.
- Soak the dried noodles in cold water for 30 minutes before cooking them, then drain.
- Slice the spring onions and chop the coriander just before serving so they stay bright.
Method
-
Char the onion and ginger
300 g onions100 g fresh gingerPut the onion and ginger cut side up under a grill at 250 °C, or hold them over a high gas flame with tongs. Char for 15–20 minutes, turning, until blackened in patches all over.
Done when The skins are black and blistered, the flesh is soft when pressed and the kitchen smells sweet and smoky.
Tip Charring is what gives pho its sweet, smoky depth. Pale aromatics make a flat broth.
250 °C · 482 °F -
Toast the spices
4 star anise1 cinnamon stick1 black cardamom pod4 cloves1 tsp coriander seeds1 tsp fennel seedsToast the star anise, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, coriander and fennel seeds in the dry pan over medium-low heat for 2–3 minutes, shaking often. Tip them into the spice bag and tie it.
Done when The spices are a shade darker and smell strongly of anise; the fennel seeds have just started to pop.
Tip Stop as soon as they smell toasted. Burnt star anise turns the broth bitter.
-
Blanch the bones
2 kg beef bones400 g beef brisketPut the bones and brisket in the second pot, cover with cold water and bring to the boil over high heat. Boil hard for 10 minutes.
Done when A thick grey-brown scum covers the surface and the water is cloudy.
Tip Skipping this step is the main reason for a murky broth: it removes blood and impurities before the real simmer.
-
Rinse everything
2 kg beef bones400 g beef brisketDrain the bones and brisket and rinse each piece under running water, rubbing off any scum. Wash out the stockpot if you used it.
Done when The bones are clean and pale with no grey specks clinging to them.
-
Start the broth
6 l cold water2 kg beef bones400 g beef brisket300 g onions100 g fresh gingerPut the bones, brisket, charred onion and ginger in the clean stockpot and pour over the cold water. Bring just to the boil over high heat, then turn the heat to low.
Done when Only a few small bubbles rise lazily at one side of the pot; the surface trembles but does not roll.
-
Simmer and lift out the brisket
400 g beef brisketSimmer uncovered on low heat for 2½ hours, skimming any foam and fat every 20–30 minutes. Lift out the brisket, plunge it into a bowl of iced water for 10 minutes, then wrap and refrigerate it.
Done when A skewer slides into the brisket with only slight resistance and the meat holds together.
Tip The ice bath stops the brisket darkening and drying out, and makes it easy to slice thinly later.
-
Keep simmering the bones
2 kg beef bonesContinue simmering the bones on low heat for another 2¾ hours, skimming regularly. Top up with hot water if the level drops below the bones.
Done when The broth is clear, light amber and smells deeply beefy; small golden fat droplets float on top.
Tip Never let it boil. A rolling boil emulsifies the fat and turns the broth cloudy.
-
Infuse the spices
4 star anise1 cinnamon stick1 black cardamom pod4 cloves1 tsp coriander seeds1 tsp fennel seedsAdd the spice bag and simmer on low heat for 45 minutes more, then remove the bag.
Done when The broth smells clearly of star anise and cinnamon, but the beef aroma still comes first.
Tip Spices go in only at the end. Left in for hours they become medicinal.
-
Strain and season
40 ml fish sauce20 g rock sugar8 g fine saltStrain the broth through the muslin-lined sieve into a clean pot; you should have about 3 litres. Stir in the fish sauce, rock sugar and salt, taste and adjust. Keep it at a gentle boil over medium heat.
Done when The broth is clear enough to see the bottom of a ladle, tastes savoury and slightly sweet, and is seasoned a little more strongly than you would drink it plain.
Tip Season boldly: the noodles and meat dilute the broth in the bowl.
-
Slice the beef
250 g beef sirloin400 g beef brisketFreeze the sirloin for 20 minutes until firm at the edges. Slice it across the grain as thinly as you can, and slice the cold brisket 3 mm thick.
Done when The sirloin slices are almost see-through and flop over the knife.
Tip Half-frozen meat lets you cut it paper-thin; thick slices will not cook in the broth.
-
Blanch the noodles
400 g flat rice noodlesBring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Dip one portion of soaked noodles at a time in a sieve into the boiling water for 30–45 seconds, shake well and tip into a warm bowl.
Done when The noodles are soft, slippery and opaque white, with no hard core when bitten.
Tip Overcooked rice noodles break apart in the soup. Pull them as soon as they are tender.
100 °C · 212 °F -
Build the bowls
400 g flat rice noodles400 g beef brisket250 g beef sirloin60 g spring onions20 g fresh corianderTop the noodles with the brisket slices, then spread the raw sirloin on top in a single layer. Add the spring onion whites, then ladle the boiling broth straight over the raw beef.
Done when The sirloin turns from red to pale pink within seconds and the bowls are steaming hard.
Tip The broth must be at a full boil, around 100 °C, when it hits the bowl, or the raw beef will not cook.
100 °C · 212 °F -
Garnish and serve
2 limes2 bird's eye chilliesScatter over the spring onion greens and coriander. Serve immediately with lime wedges and sliced chilli on the side.
Done when The herbs wilt slightly on the hot broth and release their scent.
Common mistakes
The broth is cloudy and greasy.
Fix The bones were not blanched, or the broth boiled. Blanch and rinse first, then keep it at the barest simmer and skim regularly.
The broth tastes thin.
Fix Too much water or too short a simmer. Use enough bones (2 kg for 6 l), simmer the full time, and reduce the strained broth over medium heat if needed.
The broth tastes bitter or like cough syrup.
Fix The spices were burnt or simmered too long. Toast them only until fragrant and infuse them for the last 45 minutes only.
The raw beef stays red and chewy.
Fix The slices were too thick or the broth was not boiling. Slice the sirloin half-frozen and ladle the broth straight from a full boil.
Serving
Serve in large warmed bowls with chopsticks and a soup spoon. In Hanoi pho comes with lime, chilli and sometimes chilli-garlic vinegar; bean sprouts, Thai basil and hoisin are a southern habit. Fried dough sticks (quẩy) for dipping are traditional on the side.
Storage and reheating
Cool the broth quickly and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months. Keep the cooked brisket in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store noodles, raw beef and herbs separately and assemble only when serving. Bring the broth back to a full boil before use.
Make ahead
Make the broth up to 3 days ahead; chilling it overnight lets you lift off the set fat for an even cleaner result. Slice the brisket the day before. Blanch the noodles and slice the sirloin only just before serving.
Variations
Phở chín (all cooked beef)
Leave out the raw sirloin and use 600 g of brisket, sliced. Good for anyone who prefers no rare meat.
Phở gà (chicken)
Replace the beef bones and meat with 1 whole chicken (1.5 kg) plus 1 kg of chicken wings and backs. Simmer only 2 hours, poach the whole chicken for 45 minutes until 74 °C at the thickest part of the thigh, and use only star anise, cinnamon and coriander seeds.
Vegan
Simmer 2 kg of onions, carrots, daikon and 50 g of dried shiitake with the charred aromatics for 1½ hours. Season with soy sauce (or tamari to stay gluten-free) and salt instead of fish sauce, and top with fried tofu and blanched greens.
