Vietnamese Beef Pho

This soup is served with a plate full of fresh garnishes as well as various sauces. This allows each person to season their serving to taste. The soup is somewhat unusual, because the meat is cooked in the bowl. The beef is sliced very thin, almost thin enough to see through. You might want to have the butcher slice it for you. The boiling hot broth is poured over the noodles and raw meat. The meat is quickly cooked in the hot broth in the time it takes to garnish the soup.

• Preparation Time: 10 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 20 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins
• Calories: 528 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 dash hot pepper sauce
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 large onion, sliced into rings
• 4 quarts beef broth
• 6 slices fresh ginger root
• 1 lemon grass
• 1 pound sirloin tip, cut into thin slices
• ½ pound bean sprouts
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1 cup fresh mint leaves
• 1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
• 3 fresh jalapeno peppers, sliced into rings
• 2 limes, cut into wedges
• 2 (8 ounce) packages dried rice noodles
• ½ tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

In a large soup pot, combine broth, onion, ginger, lemon grass, cinnamon, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cover. Simmer for 1 hour.

Step 2

Arrange bean sprouts, mint, basil, and cilantro on a platter with chilies and lime.

Step 3

Soak the noodles in hot water to cover for 15 minutes or until soft. Drain. Place equal portions of noodles into 6 large soup bowls, and place raw beef on top. Ladle hot broth over noodles and beef. Pass platter with garnishes and sauces.