Vietnamese Pho (From Scratch!)
- PREP 45min
- COOK 3hrs 20min
- TOTAL 4hrs 5min
Making Vietnamese pho at home is easy, especially with our traditional pho recipe. We realize our from-scratch recipe may look daunting, but it’s easier than you think, and there is a lot of inactive time while you wait for the broth (we’ve just been extra tedious to share everything we know).
A few notes before you begin: (1) Parboiling the bones makes our broth clear, and you do not lose any flavor. (2) Keep your broth at a low simmer. Otherwise, it will reduce too much. If it seems that it is reducing too quickly, partially cover the pot with a lid. (3) There will be a generous amount of fat at the top of the broth when it is done. Skim it away with a spoon, or refrigerate the broth overnight. The fat rises to the top and solidifies, making it really easy to remove.
You Will Need
Pho Broth
5 to 6 pounds of beef knuckles or leg bones
6 quarts cold water
2 onions, quartered
4-inch piece of fresh ginger, halved lengthwise
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
6 whole star anise
6 whole cloves
1 black cardamom pod, see tips
1 ½ tablespoons fine sea salt
1/4 cup fish sauce
1-inch piece of yellow rock sugar, see tips
Assembly
1 pound dried or fresh “banh pho” noodles, see tips
8 ounces raw eye of round, sirloin, or tri-tip steak, thinly sliced across the grain, see tips
1/4 cup thinly sliced onions
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
Optional for the table: fresh mint, Thai basil, bean sprouts, lime wedges, sliced green or red chilies, fish sauce, hoisin sauce, sriracha or chili sauce
Directions
Make the Broth
Place beef bones in a stockpot (10-quart or larger). Cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat for 3 to 5 minutes. As the bones boil, scum and foam will float to the top. Drain the bones, rinse with warm water, and scrub the stockpot clean. Return bones to the pot and add 6 quarts of cold water.
Preheat oven broiler to high. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place onion quarters and halved ginger on the baking sheet and broil for 10 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally until nicely charred.
Place cinnamon, coriander, fennel, star anise, cloves, and cardamom pod in a dry frying pan over low heat. Toast for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant. Transfer the spices to a muslin bag or cheesecloth and seal with twine.
Bring the stockpot to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Add the charred onions, ginger, spice bag, salt, fish sauce, and rock sugar. Gently simmer uncovered for 3 hours, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface.
Use tongs to remove bones, onions, and ginger. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer. To remove the fat, skim it off with a spoon or refrigerate the broth overnight (the fridge solidifies the fat at the top, which is easy to remove in the morning).
Assembling Pho
Place the strained broth into a stockpot and simmer over medium-low heat while you prepare the noodles.
To prepare the noodles for cooking, place dried pho noodles in a bowl and cover with hot water. Soak for 15 to 20 minutes or until they are soft and opaque. If you have fresh noodles, do not cover them with hot water. Add them to a colander and rinse with cold water.
Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook briefly (about 10 seconds) until they soften. Drain the noodles and divide them evenly between serving bowls, filling each bowl about 1/3 of the way.
Arrange slices of raw meat over the noodles in each bowl. Carefully ladle the very hot broth over the meat, cooking it gently. Top with onion slices and cilantro. Serve with your favorite pho toppings at the table.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Equipment: Large stockpot (10-quart capacity or larger), baking sheet, skillet, Muslin bag/herb sachet or cheesecloth with twine (for spices), and fine-mesh strainer
- Black cardamom pod: Highly recommend for it’s smoky flavor, but optional. Find in International and Asian markets or online.
- Yellow rock sugar: Also known as “lump sugar” sold in boxes at Asian markets. Break into smaller chunks – use a hammer or rolling pin.
- Raw beef: Ask your butcher to thinly slice or place beef into the freezer for 15 minutes to harden a little. Carefully slice the beef across the grain into 1/16-inch thick slices.
- Recipe inspired by Andrea Nguyen of Viet World Kitchen and Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.