Pho Bo – Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup
·Cook the meat
Put the bones and ribs into a pot, cover with water and bring to the boil. Let it boil for a while until foam forms on the surface. Then drain the water, rinse both the bones and the pot, and set them back on the stove with fresh water. If foam forms again, repeat the process.
Dry-roast the onion and ginger
Meanwhile, peel the ginger and slice it, peel the onion and cut it in half. Dry-roast the onion, ginger and all the remaining spices in a pan, without any oil.
Simmer with the meat for three hours
Once the cut side of the onion has browned and the spices smell wonderfully fragrant, add everything to the boiling bones. Season with salt and let it simmer away. The longer the broth cooks, the better (in Vietnam it's simmered overnight) – I usually cook it for about 3 hours. Strain the broth.
Serving
Put the noodles, herbs and sprouts into a bowl and pour over the hot broth. At the table, everyone can finish their own bowl to taste with lime and fish sauce or chilli sauce.
Tip: making phở bò tái
You'll also need beef tenderloin cut into thin slices. Lay these on the plate and pour over truly boiling broth. The meat will cook through, staying pink in the middle and tasting wonderful.