Hanoi Beef Noodles

This is Nina Siomnds' version of Pho-- one of the most familiar dishes from Vietnam. Maybe the best part of making this is the absolutely heavenly smell of the stock as it simmers. You just know that something wonderful is in the works.I love this soup and it is equally good for breakfast,lunch or dinner. So versatile and so very, very good.

PHO

(6 servings)

Beef Stock

• 3 3/4 pounds beef shinbones or oxtails with meat qnd marrow
• 16 cups water
• 4 shallots, thinly sliced
• 6 slices fresh ginger (about the size of a quarter), peeled and smashed lightly
• 4 star anise
• 2 cinnamon sticks

 

• 1/ cup fish sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 ounces thin flat rice stick noodles (pho) softened in hot water, cooked until just tender, rinsed under warm water and drained*
• 1 lime, cut into 6 wedges
• 1 hot red chile pepper, thinly sliced into rings
• 1/2 pound boneless beef sirloin, trimmed of fat and gristle and cut into paper-thin slices about 1 1/2 inches square
• 2 cups been sprouts, rinsed and drained

Garnishes

• 1/4 cup minced scallion greens
• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 1 cup Thai holy basil or sweet basil leaves, shredded

 

* I didn't have flat rice noodles, only vermicelli. They worked just fine even though the texture wasn't quite authentic. If you use the thinner noodles, they don't need to be cooked; only softened in hot water.

In a large pot, combine the beef stock ingredients and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours, skimming any impurities and fat from the surface.

Stock ingredients before boiling

Strain the broth into another large pot. Remove any meat from the bones and cut into thin slices, discard the bones and the stock seasonings. Skim any fat from the surface of the stock. Add the fish sauce and black pepper and keep warm over low heat.

Meat picked from the bones and reserved for later use in the soup

Noodles after being softened in hot water

Divide noodles among six soup bowls.

Add the cooked sliced beef, the sirloin and bean sprouts to the hot soup, bring to a boil and cook until the sirloin loses its pink color, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Skim the surface to remove any impurities.

Soup cooking just prior to serving

Garnishes for the soup

Ladle the beef, bean sprouts and broth over the noodles. Sprinkle the scallion, cilantro and basil on top. Serve with the lime slices and chile pepper for seasoning.