Pho broth is the soul of Vietnamese cuisine. With a Homemade Beef Pho Broth slowly simmered with toasted spices, every bowl is a profound sensory experience.
Ingredients — serves 4
- 1.5 kg beef marrow bones and oxtail
- 300 g beef (rump, brisket)
- 400 g Pho rice noodles
- 1 onion, 1 piece of ginger (8 cm)
- 3 star anise, 1 cinnamon stick, 5 cloves
- 3 tbsp fish sauce, salt, sugar
- Garnishes: bean sprouts, Thai basil, mint, lime, chilli
Method
- Bones: Blanch bones for 10 minutes, rinse thoroughly.
- Charring: Char the onion and ginger directly over a flame or under the grill until blackened.
- Toasting: Dry-toast spices for 2 minutes.
- Broth: Cover bones with 3 litres cold water. Bring to the boil, skim, then simmer 4 hours with onion, ginger and spices.
- Seasoning: Strain. Add fish sauce, salt, sugar.
- Serving: Cook noodles. Slice raw beef very thinly. Pour boiling broth into the bowl — it cooks the beef instantly.
Inspiration d'Asie tip
Charring the onion and ginger is essential: it creates the characteristic smoky depth of Pho. Dry-toasting the spices multiplies their aromatic power tenfold. These two steps make all the difference between an ordinary and an exceptional Pho.