If you can
imagine beef noodle soup for breakfast, then you decidedly want
to try Pho, a Vietnamese dish that has been around for nearly 100
years. I find my site is more and more leaning towards ethnic
dishes that are loaded with big, bold tastes, and that make
eating what it should be - an experience!
Pho (pronounced "phir" in English) is influenced by the Chinese
and French cuisines, and was believed to have originally derived
from a French soup, "pot au feu",(pot on fire)which Wikipedia
defines as a French beef stew. This is usually a mixture of cuts
of beef, vegetable, and spice.
Pho had its humble beginnings nearly 100 years ago, and at that
time was basically boiled beef, broth and noodles. It has since
evolved into much more than that. During the war in Viet Nam,
when beef became scarce, a pork version (pho lon) evolved.
The combination of both French and Chinese occupation has led to
a diverse, unique cuisine that is admired by many. When the
Vietnamese fled to the US in 1975, they brought to the United
States their unique cuisine and heritage. It is how Pho was
introduced to us...
As a Viet Nam vet, I am probably a bit more familiar with the SE
Asian cuisine than most. I also worked for many years with a
large population of Vietnamese when doing vocational rehab. As a
results, I enjoy the cookery of the East. It is spicy, oft-times
hot, and is also very healthy.
Offered here is a basic recipe for Pho. I have spent extra time
lately with my brother after Mom's passing. Howard, also a Viet
Nam vet, and I talked a lot about the culture there, and the
great meals to be had. He, too, loves the bold, spicy hot foods
of the Orient...
We are accustomed to meals of bacon and eggs, French toast,
sausages, big whacking slices of ham for breakfast. All loaded
with fat grams and way too much cholesterol. Do your self a
favor, and try Pho one of these mornings instead...
Enjoy!
Assemble These Ingredients:
3 medium unpeeled yellow onions (approx 1 pound)
4-inch piece unpeeled ginger (approx 4 ounces)
5 to 6 pounds beef soup bones (leg and knuckle bones - have
butcher cut into 2-3 in sections)
1 lb flank steak. cut into bite-sized pieces.
5 star anise
6 whole cloves
3-inch cinnamon stick
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1/4 cup Hot chili sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
Freshly ground Black pepper
1 ounce rock sugar (duong phen) or 1 tablespoon white sugar
For The Bowl Itself:
1/2 lb sirloin or round steak
1 TBS Cilantro-chopped
2 14 ounce packages of small ( 1/8-inch wide) dried or fresh banh
pho noodles
2-3 scallions, with green tops sliced into small rings.
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
2 Limes cut in wedges
1 bunch Fresh mint
1 bunch Fresh Asian or regular basil
2 Fresh chili peppers, thinly sliced (Thai dragon or bird
preferred)
To Make The Broth:
Char 2 of the onions (reserve the other onion for bowl
preparation) and ginger over an open flame to release essential
oils and fragrances. They do not need to be blackened - only
char to soften. (This can be done under a broiler if no open
flame is available). Remove skin and blackened pieces from
onions and ginger, remove stem ends from onions and discard. Set
aside.
In a large stock pot, place leg bones and enough cold water to
cover. Bring to a rolling boil, and boil approximately 3-5
minutes. Remove from heat, and rinse under cold running water.
Thoroughly clean stock pot, and return cleaned bones to pot. Add
6 quarts of water bring to a rolling boil, and reduce to a gentle
simmer. Add onions, ginger, star anise,cloves, cinnamon stick,
cut up flank steak, salt, fish sauce, and rock sugar. Simmer
about 1 1/2 hours, and remove flank steak. (Steak should be done
through but chewy) Cool steak in bowl of cold water to keep it
from drying out and turning brown. Refrigerate flank steak.
Continue simmering broth for approximately 3 hours, skimming scum
and fat from broth occasionally, and stirring bones from time to
time.
When done, strain broth through double-folded cheesecloth in a
colander to remove any impurities and pieces of tendon. Discard
bones. To make preparation of Pho much easier, refrigerate broth
overnight. When cold, any excess fat can be easily removed from
the cold broth. The idea here is to have a very clear, fat-free
broth.
To Prepare The Bowls:
Slice the sirloin or round steak against the grain in very thin
slices.
(Freezing for a half-hour makes this easier)
Thinly slice cooked flank steak
Heat broth to boiling over medium heat.
Blanch noodles in 3-4 quarts of boiling water, and use a strainer
to remove each bowl portion. Blanching should only take about
10-20 seconds, until the noodles have lost their stiffness, and
are easily managed.
If using fresh noodles, simply untangle and rinse in cold
water.
Blanch bean sprouts in same water until wilted but crunchy.
Fill each bowl approximately 1/4 full with noodles, place cooked
flank steak and slices of raw sirloin or round steak on top of
noodles. Garnish this with sliced scallions, thinly sliced
onions, and chopped cilantro.
Ladle seasoned broth into bowl. The idea here is to have the
boiling broth cook the thinly sliced raw steak. Season with
freshly ground black pepper.
A garnish plate is served with the completed Pho. It is
customary for the diner to pull the leaves from the stalk of the
basil and mint to season their meal. Take thinly sliced peppers,
swirl them into the soup for added flavor. Add the slice of
pepper if you like it very spicy. Lime wedges are used to add a
tartness to the soup. Bean sprouts are also used as a garnish.
This variation of Pho is typically served in South Viet Nam. In
the North, Pho is a much simpler dish, minus a lot of the
ingredients found in this recipe. In the North, Pho is served
without the herbs and bean sprouts. Green chilies and lime only
are used as condiments. In the South, Pho can be served with a
dozen different ingredients.
Pho has become very popular in the United States. There are at
last count over 500 Pho restaurants scattered across the US. Pho
is often served with spring rolls and egg rolls.
See my site http://www.allthebestrecipes.com for this and many
more exciting recipes from around the world...
About The Author:
Alden Smith is an award winning author who is the webmaster of
All The Best
Recipes. Visit his website for a free 660 page cookbook of
Secret Famous Recipes.