Ingredients:
1 beef bone
3 sections of oxtail
500g beef shank
200g beef tenderloin slices
5 shallots
1 scallion
A small piece of ginger
1 cinnamon stick
2 cardamom pods
4 cloves
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
2 star anise
3 tablespoons yellow rock sugar
5 tablespoons light soy sauce
6 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons salt
Side Dishes:
1 bunch of mint
1 bunch of Thai basil
Mung bean sprouts (optional)
3 bird’s eye chilies
Onion (optional)
1 lime
6 beef balls
Scallion segments (as needed)
Here is how to make Authentic Vietnamese Beef Pho (Complete Home Recipe). Start by placing the beef shank, beef bones, and oxtail in a pot of cold water. Bring it to a boil to blanch the meat, then rinse off all the scum and foam. Finally, transfer the cleaned meat and bones into your stew pot to get ready for the long simmer.
Roast the shallots until the skin is slightly charred and they release a fragrant aroma.
Baked like this
Char the ginger as well until it’s slightly blackened (I’m taking the shortcut and roasting it directly like this).
Toast all the spices over low heat until fragrant: 2 star anise, 2 black cardamom pods, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, and 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds.
Toss all the ingredients into the stew pot: the beef shank, bones, oxtail, shallots, ginger, cinnamon, black cardamom, fennel seeds, cloves, star anise, and green onions. (This recipe uses about 4 liters of water, which is perfect for a 3-4 person meal.)
Add water and some rock sugar. I’m using a purple clay electric stew pot, so I just set it for 8 hours and walk away. No need to babysit it—just let it simmer, simmer, simmer.
After 2 hours of stewing, fish out the beef shank. However, if you prefer it melt-in-your-mouth tender, you can let it cook for another hour.
After 5 hours, it is time to season the broth. Add 5 tablespoons of light soy sauce, 6 tablespoons of fish sauce, and 2 to 3 tablespoons of salt. (Adjust the salt to your taste, depending on how salty your brand is.)
The broth is almost ready, so let’s get the side dishes prepared. You will need: lime wedges, sliced bird’s eye chilies, finely shredded onions (try to slice them as thin as possible!), fresh mint, basil, bean sprouts, and chopped green onions. (Oops, I forgot to snap photos of the raw beef slices and cooked beef balls, but don’t forget those!)
Finally, fish out all the solid ingredients and keep the clear broth. Then, skim off all the fat from the surface—this step is absolutely crucial! Authentic Vietnamese Pho should be clear and rich but free of visible oil. (Alternatively, you can let it cool overnight and remove the solidified fat layer the next day.)
Finally, cook the rice noodles (they are ready in no time!). Place them in a bowl and top with raw beef tenderloin slices, beef shank, beef balls, basil, mint, bean sprouts, onion strips, chili, lime wedges, and green onions. Then, simply ladle the piping hot broth over everything to finish.
Mix everything together! The hot broth instantly awakens the spices and herbs, creating a flavor that is miles better than any takeout. Writing this is making me crave it all over again… You guys really have to try this!
