Pho Frenzy

After eating eating Vietnamese chicken noodle soup at Pho Ga Dakao on Bellaire for lunch, I decided to make regular beef pho for dinner. (I become a pho fanatic when the weather gets cold.)

All the ingredients I needed for pho were available at a little market called Cho Thanh Binh (11810 Bellaire) a few doors down from the restaurant. When I told the butcher I was making pho, he handed me some flank steak and a 3 kilo bag of beef bones. Then he pointed to the fresh rice noodles on a nearby shelf. They also had the ginger, shallots, herbs and spices you need to make the Vietnamese soup. I dutifully took my packages to the checkout counter. Does Cho Thanh Binh mean “Wag a Bag of Pho Fixin’s” in Vietnamese?

When I got home, I realized that this was twice as much bone as I normally use. I usually start with 3 pounds of bone and add a pound of rump for the stock. I don’t mind doubling the recipe, but the 6 and a half pounds of bones and 2 pounds of flank the Vietnamese butcher sold me were way more than I could fit in my soup pot. So I went out the garage and got out the crawfish boiling pot.

Check out my Homemade Texas Pho recipe after the jump.

Homemade Pho

This recipe sounds a lot more complicated than it really is. You just make a hearty beef broth and add some spices. Then you ladle the broth over noodles and add some meat. If you have a crawfish boiling pot handy, you can double the recipe.

Makes 6 regular bowls or 4 big bowls

3 pounds beef neck bones
1 pound beef brisket, trimmed
2 shallots, sliced
2 ounces of thick sliced ginger
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1 black cardamom pod
Fish sauce to taste
Half cup sliced fresh jalapeño chiles
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 pound dried rice noodles (Banh pho)
3 limes
1 bunch green onions
Assorted fresh garden herbs such as mint, cilantro, and basil
Sriracha sauce

Preparation:
Rinse the meat and bone. Roast the meat and bones in a 400° F oven for 20 minutes, turning several times until well browned. Put the beef and bones in a stock pot and add water to cover, 8 to 10 cups. Bring to a boil and skim. Slice the ginger into three or four thick slices. Toast the ginger and shallot slices in a hot dry skillet until lightly charred and add to the stock. Toast the star anise and the black cardamom, crushing them slightly. Then put them in a piece of cheesecloth together with the cinnamon stick and tie to make a bouquet garni. Add the spices, chile peppers and salt to taste. Simmer on low heat for about at least two and a half hours replenishing with water to maintain a constant level.

Remove the bouquet garni, beef bone and meat and allow to drain. Keep the stock simmering and check the seasoning. Rinse and slice the herbs, spring onion and limes. Chop the rump into serving size pieces. Drop the noodles in boiling water for 2 or 3 minutes until soft, then remove and divide into individual serving bowls. Arrange some meat in each bowl with some onion and herbs on top. Pour the boiling stock over the noodles and meat. Serve immediately accompanied with lime wedges, herbs, sliced jalapeños and Sriracha sauce.

Variation: Steak Pho: Add thin slices of raw steak to the noodles in each bowl just before adding hot broth.