Name: Beef Pho
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 395 min
Total time: 870 min
Ingredients: 5 pounds beef soup bones; 1 tablespoon salt, divided; 2 gallons water; 2 medium onions, quartered; 1 (4 inch) piece fresh ginger root; 2 pounds beef oxtail; 1 white (daikon) radish, sliced; 2 ounces whole star anise pods; 0.5 (3 inch) cinnamon stick; 1 teaspoon black peppercorns; 2 whole cloves; 1 tablespoon white sugar; 1 tablespoon fish sauce; salt to taste; 1.5 pounds dried flat rice noodles; 0.5 pound frozen beef sirloin

Prep Time:

30 mins

Cook Time:

6 hrs 35 mins

Additional Time:

8 hrs 10 mins

Total Time:

14 hrs 30 mins

Servings:

6

Jump to Nutrition Facts

This South Vietnamese-style pho brings comfort with every sip and slurp. It's a restorative, richly seasoned broth ladled over rice noodles and thinly sliced beef and served with a host of crisp, tangy, spicy, sweet, and fragrant garnishes.

The version you see here has been adapted slightly from LETT101's original with insights from Allrecipes friend and Vietnamese cookbook author Andrea Nguyen and tested in our Allrecipes test kitchens. We specified the amount of ginger and charred the onion and ginger before adding them to the broth. "That partially cooks those aromatics and kind of mellows things out," says Nguyen. "It's the backbone of the broth."

This version also calls for beef soup bones rather than beef knuckle, which can be harder to find, and is served with the more traditional hoisin sauce rather than the plum sauce mentioned in the original.

Ingredients

Broth:

5 pounds beef soup bones
1 tablespoon salt, divided
2 gallons water
2 medium onions, quartered
1 (4 inch) piece fresh ginger root
2 pounds beef oxtail
1 white (daikon) radish, sliced
2 ounces whole star anise pods
½ (3 inch) cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 whole cloves
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
salt to taste

Other:

1 ½ pounds dried flat rice noodles
½ pound frozen beef sirloin

Directions

Make broth: Place beef bones in a 9-quart (or larger) pot; season with 1 teaspoon salt. Pour water into the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer broth for about 2 hours.
Meanwhile, set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler. Line a 10x15-inch roasting pan with aluminum foil.
Place onions and unpeeled ginger onto the prepared roasting pan and cook under the preheated broiler, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are charred, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool slightly. Chop onions, then peel and slice ginger; set aside separately.
Skim fat from surface of simmering broth. Add oxtail, radish, and charred onions to broth. Tie charred ginger, anise, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, and cloves in cheesecloth to make a bouquet garni; add to broth. Stir in sugar, fish sauce, and remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Simmer over medium-low heat for at least 4 hours (the longer, the better). Season with salt.
Strain broth. Discard bones and bouquet garni. Reserve meat from bones for another use. Chill broth in the refrigerator, 8 hours to overnight.
Skim and discard fat from the top of chilled broth. Pour broth into a pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and keep hot until ready to serve.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Turn off heat. Stir in rice noodles and let sit until noodles are tender yet chewy, 6 to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut frozen sirloin into paper-thin slices.
Drain and divide noodles among bowls, about 1 1/2 cups per serving. Top each with a few sirloin slices. Ladle hot broth over sirloin and noodles.

DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS

Editor's Note:

This is part of a special feature in our February-March 2022 magazine issue. Check it out for more recipes!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

885	Calories
24g	Fat
102g	Carbs
61g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 6
Calories 885
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 24g	31%
Saturated Fat 9g	43%
Cholesterol 174mg	58%
Sodium 1745mg	76%
Total Carbohydrate 102g	37%
Dietary Fiber 3g	12%
Protein 61g
Potassium 331mg	7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.