Friday, October 9, 2009

Vietnamese Pho Noodle Soup


This is one of my all-time favorite foods in the world. I can have this delicious noodle soup at any hour of the day. It's the ultimate comfort food. The recipe requires a bit of prep work but so worth it.


Ingredients:

32 oz oxtail bones (try to buy it freshly cut at butcher counter)
16 oz sirloin beef
16 cups of water
16 oz dry Vietnamese rice noodle
1 whole lime cut into 4 wedges (2 oz)
* very finely sliced raw or well-done beef slices
* fresh or frozen beef balls
* fresh bean sprouts

*optional, purchased at Oriental food markets


Procedure:

A)

4 pcs star anise
6 pcs cloves
1 tbsp fennel
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 stick cinnamon
1 tsp white peppercorn
1 pc lemongrass (2 oz)
1 pc ginger root (2 oz)
1 whole onion
cheesecloth bag or cloth

B)

2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp fish sauce

C)

2 cups fresh bean sprouts
¼ cup fresh basil leaves
¼ cup fresh coriander
¼ fresh mint leaves
16 fresh small chilis, cut into rings

Roast bones in oven for 1/2 hr at 500 degrees F.

Place A ingredients on a baking tray and bake in oven until fragrant, about 15 min.

Wrap A ingredients in cheesecloth bag and seal tight (if using cloth, bind tightly with string) to prevent spices from escaping into the pot.

Sear sirloin in stock pot until browned on both sides. Drain juices.

Add water, bones, sirloin, B ingredients and cheesecloth bag to the pot. Bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer for an hour.

Continue to simmer for another hour and remove cheesecloth. Strain soup and adjust taste with seasoning of your choice.

Cut sirloin into very thin slices to serve.

Cook pre-soaked rice noodles in large pot of boiling water for 3-5 min until soft and drain.

Ladle rice noodles and soup into bowls.

Garnish C ingredients on top of soup noodles in each bowl or serve separately.



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