Pho bo

Name: Pho bo
Yield: Serves six
Cuisine: Vietamese
Ingredients: 4 litres (7 pts) water; 1 kg (2 lb) beef bones; 1 tsp salt; 2 onions, quartered; 2 tbsp fish sauce (nuoc mam); 500 g (1 lb) beef brisket; 250 g (8 oz) fillet steak, sliced paper-thin; 500 g (1 lb) fresh rice sheet noodles; 5 cardamom pods; 2 knobs of ginger, about 2.5 cm (1 in) round; 1 cinnamon stick; 3 pieces star anise; 2 limes, cut into wedges; 3 small fresh chillies, chopped; sprig each of Asian basil, coriander and Vietnamese mint; sprig each of Asian basil, coriander and Vietnamese mint; 1 onion, very finely sliced; 4 spring onions, finely chopped white pepper; 4 spring onions, finely chopped white pepper; extra fish sauce (nuoc mam) hoisin sauce (optional); sprig each of Asian basil, coriander and Vietnamese mint; 2 cups bean sprouts, washed

Preparation info

Serves
six

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Noodle

By Terry Durack

Published 2002

About

What began life as an honest labourer’s breakfast dish of noodle soup laced with beefy bits has gone on to hijack lunchtimes all over the world.

Ingredients

1 kg (2 lb) beef bones
4 litres (7

Asia
Vietnam
Breakfast
Soup
Noodles
Gluten-free

Method

Put bones in a large saucepan with the water, 1 quartered onion, salt, 1 knob of ginger, cardamom pods, star anise and cinnamon. Grill remaining quartered onion and ginger until skins are burnt, add them to the stock and bring to the boil. Skim off any froth that rises, add the brisket, bring to the boil and skim again. Add fish sauce and simmer for 4 hours.

Remove brisket and slice hal