Challenge # 2: Pho real?!

My friends, I made it to round two!  Hip, hip, hooray!!! Do you know what this means?  I get to share with you the most delectable and most crave-inducing soup on the planet.  I tout a lot of foods here at Hail's Kitchen. How many times have I uttered the phrase "best ever?" Too many probably.  But, people, this soup.  THIS SOUP!

Pho: it's pronounced fuh, and it is a Vietnamese treasure.

Typically the broth is made by simmering beef bones with aromatics and spices to create a rich, flavorful broth that invites you to bathe in the stuff it is so luscious. Meatballs, tendons, thinly sliced beef, chicken, gizzards, tripe, and other organs are often served alongside thin rice noodles.    

In addition to having an obsession with the broth that boarders on irrational, I love the garnishes that accompany this soup; bean sprouts, cilantro, basil, lime wedges, sliced chilies.  

When I lived in Salt Lake City, I made a point to eat pho at least once a week.  If I didn't know what to cook for dinner -- looks like a pho night!  If I had a stomachache -- pho!  If had a lousy day at work -- pho!  Breakfast, lunch or dinner, this soup fits the bill.  Heals you heart and soul.  Promise. Girl scout's honor.  

Now that I no longer live in the fine metropolitan area of Salt Lake City, I have missed my weekly ritual.  SORELY.  I've always wanted to make pho at home but have been scared of the broth.  I had this impression that it was too complicated, too many ingredients, too much time. 

Well, I am not going to sugarcoat this.  While the process wasn't necessarily complicated, the ingredients were a challenge.  The fact that I live in a relatively rural location, my grocery stores don't have a ready supply of exotic spices like star anise.  Sigh.  But, that didn't derail my mission.  I adapted with anise seeds and included fennel bulb.  Was it ideal? Probably not.  Did it satisfy my craving? Most certainly!  

The smell of the broth made my eyes roll in the back of my head.  Neighbors, you are welcome. To say that this broth is aromatic is like saying I am happy to have made it to round two: gross understatements on both accounts.

I had to fiddle with my broth a bit, adding more fish sauce and more sugar, to get it perfect.  I felt a little like Goldilocks, but finally, I got it just right.  

Good things come in nondescript, plastic bags.

Like beef bones.

 This is where I fell short in the recipe accuracy department. Anise seeds had to suffice. On a side note, every time I use cheesecloth I feel like a WWI nurse.  I enjoy channelling my inner Ernest Hemingway . . . or not. 

I, however, did not fall short in charring the onions and ginger.  I nearly burned down my building, but hey, all in the name of competition. 

My soup paled in comparison to my garnish in terms of beauty.

Thinly sliced sirloin and rice noodles ready for their salty bath.

My broth was not as clear as it should have been, but it certainly satisfied. 

I no longer have to whine and cry because I have to drive 2.5 hours for pho.  

Vietnamese Pho or beef noodle soup

adapted from a conglomeration of recipes

broth:

5 pounds beef marrow or knuckle bones (my butcher only had marrow bones)

2 onions, charred (burned skin removed) and quarted

2 celery stalks, rough chopped

2 carrots, rough chopped

1, 4 inch piece of ginger, charred and cut lengthwise 

1 bulb fennel, quartered

6 cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 cup fish sauce

3 tbs sugar

2 tbs kosher salt

spices: 6 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, 6 whole star anise (if you can find them) or 6 tsp anise seeds, 1 cardamom pod (if you can find it) 

6 quarts of water

the rest:

thin rice noodles, cooked according to the package (al dente is best)

1 lb sirloin, thinly sliced (slightly frozen helps with slicing)

lime wedges

cilantro

basil, thai basil (AGAIN if you can find it)

bean sprouts

chili peppers, sliced

First, parboil the bones in a large pot of boiling water.  This helps to rid them of any impurities.  Be prepared for a foul smell and even fouler water.  After ten minutes, rinse the bones and the pot.  Meanwhile, char the onions and ginger.  If you have a gas stove -- great!  If not, broil them in the oven until they are good and smokey. 

Return the bones to the pot along with the vegetables and spice bouquet.  Fill with with water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Over-boiling causes cloudy broth -- check out my photos for a lesson of what NOT TO DO!  Allow the broth to simmer for at least 1.5 to 2 hours.  The longer the simmer, the greater the flavor.  

Strain out the vegetables and the beef bones.  Add the sugar, salt and fish sauce to the broth.  Be sure to taste and adjust accordingly to get the broth to your liking.  

To serve: in a big bowl, arrange a handful of sliced beef on al dente noodles.  Ladle in the hot broth.  Allow your guests to garnish their soup with the provided accoutrements: bean sprouts, cilantro, basil, sliced chilies and lime wedges.  Slurp and enjoy!