Pho Bo To Go

Authentic Pho is a Vietnamese dish which takes much time to develop beautiful flavors. It is well worth learning to do this from a true cultural artisan. The following is merely my version based on studies of the dish and a lot of  practice.

To my taste buds, the following method is delicious, satisfying, and as close as I can get it to the amazing dish made by artisans at a local Vietnamese foods eatery!

Why Pho?

1. …because if you do it right, it is delicious and satisfying.
2. For special diets, this dish is a dream! Packed with flavor, and gluten free. Swapping rice noodles for veggie ribbons will make it Paleo. It is traditionally made with oxtail broth and rare beef, tripe or meatballs, but versions can be made with other proteins, including chicken (pho ga), or even vegetarian (pho chay)!
3. Soup in a thermos is always an a great make-ahead lunch option. Making your own soup ensures control over ingredients. 🙂

Also, for some of us (ahem, me), Pho is one of those foods that makes us feel fully nourished and calm.

Making Broth for Pho

Although oxtail is traditional – use it if you have it – we generally use pasture-raised grass fed beef bones. I roast them for an hour or two, then use these bones to make a rich broth.

The bones I have today are not optimal. They are not marrow-filled oxtail. But they are from grass fed beef and this suits us nutritionally. So in they will go. If your bones are less than optimal. you can throw in beef (the meat itself) or even chicken bones and meat, to deepen the flavor.

Shortcut: Not authentic, but you can purchase a really good beef broth and simmer it with traditional Pho spices. I wont tell anyone that you do this if you promise not to tell anyone that I suggested it.

When I have time, I roast my bones first. This enhances flavor and melts away some of the fat. Another option is to first blanch the bones by dropping them in boiling water, then removing them. In a cleaned pot simmer blanched bones for broth.

Charring onion and ginger for the broth enhances flavor, as well. Today, I threw them all in together, put them under the broiler and used tongs to pull out items as they charred.

Charred onion and ginger and roasted bones go into the stock pot.

Now add water to cover the bones by a couple of inches. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. A slow simmer keeps the broth clear.

Any scum that rises to the top must be skimmed off with a spoon. This does not make pretty clear broth.

Spices. mmmm. Star anise, cinnamon, cardamon, cloves, bay leaves, coriander, and fennel.

You can put your spices in a sachet – cheesecloth, tied with string. The sachet is dropped in the pot to infuse flavor and easily removed and discarded with tongs.

Alternatively, you can just throw the spices in loosely and strain them out later.

Spices are added to the beef broth and simmered for 3 hours, lid on. That sounds intense, but it is sooooo easy. You just throw everything in the pot, then forget about. Flavors develop themselves.

When the broth is done, skim the fat off the top and discard. Strain everything out. To give the broth more clarity, make it in advance, cool it, and refrigerate it. Fat will rise to the surface and can be easily removed this way.

Making Pho to go, for a portable lunch

Using a very sharp knife, slice beef very thin… paper thin, if possible. It is easier to do this if your steak is partially frozen. I am using grass fed sirloin steak, because this is what is available.

Prep your add-ins. Great add-ins include cilantro, fresh basil, lime wedges, sliced jalapeno, bean sprouts, and mint. I like to also include very thinly sliced onion and sautéed shitake mushrooms.

You can also add sauces, like hoison, sriracha, and fish sauce.

I LOVE gochujang in Pho, although it can contain gluten and corn syrup. You can make your own, if you are so inclined.

Because this is going into a lunch box, I am putting my veggies into little containers.

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Cook rice noodles per package directions. If you are making this to-go slightly undercook, cool, and pack into a little container. I like to swirl noodles in smaller portions.

Sliced beef goes into its own container. And if you are able to reheat broth in a microwave at work, you can put it in a container as well. If not, get it very hot and pack it in a thermos.

Important note! If your thermos will not keep broth extremely hot by the time you are ready to eat, then go ahead and add in beef at this point to be sure it is cooked. Also, keep noodles warm next to the thermos so they do not cool down the broth at lunchtime.

Pack it up! Off you go!

Lunchtime! 

When you are ready to eat. place noodles, covered with beef into a heat-safe bowl or container and pour the broth over them. The heat of the broth will cook your beef.

Throw in your other ingredients.

Enjoy!

Pho Broth

Make this rich broth in advance and refrigerate or freeze it in batches for soup anytime. Cook once, eat many lunches.

Ingredients

• oxtail or beef bones, 4-5 lbs. (I like grass fed beef bones, your butcher can cut them for you)
• 1 onion, cut in half
• 1 piece of fresh ginger, 3-4 in long, cut in half
• pho spices – 1 cinnamon stick, 5 whole star anise, 5 cloves, 1 whole cardamon pod, 2-3 bay leaves, 1/2 T coriander, 1/2 T fennel
• 2-4 T fish sauce
• salt, to taste
• optional: cheesecloth and string to make a sachet for spices

Method

Roast bones, or blanch them in boiling water to remove some of the fat. Place bones in a stock pot and cover with water – water level a couple of inches over the top of bones.

Cut onion and ginger in halves and char them under a broiler. Add them to stock pot with bones. Add chunks of beef, if you have it. Alternatively, you can add chicken bones and meat to enhance flavor. Add spices, either loosely or tied up in a sachet for easy removal. Add fish sauce. If preferred, use anchovies instead of fish sauce.

Bring to boil. Reduce to simmer. Skim off scum that rises to the top. Cover with a lid and simmer for three hours. You can simmer longer, but you have extracted most of the flavor after three hours simmering. Add salt, to taste. Adjust seasonings, as desired.

Remove bones and strain for a clear broth.

Use immediately or cool and refrigerate. Remaining fat will rise to the top when refrigerated, making it very easy to remove.

Making Pho To Go

Components

• Broth, 1 1/2 – 2 cups, or enough for a bowl of soup, whatever amount you like.
• Very thinly sliced beef, about 4 oz
• Cooked rice noodles, about 1/4 cup, or any amount you like
• Add-ins, such as bean sprouts, cilantro, fresh basil, mint, lime wedges, and jalapeno
• Optional: hot sauce, fish sauce

Method

Put very hot broth into a thermos, or refrigerated broth in a container to be reheated at work. Pack noodles into a baggie or container and place next to thermos (or where they will not be chilled). Cold noodles will cool broth too much. Pack add-ins into a separate baggie or container.

At lunchtime, pour hot broth over beef and noodles to cook beef. Add in everything else. Enjoy!

Important to remember!

• If you will not be able to keep broth VERY hot, then add beef at home while broth is hot, then add to thermos.
• Be sure rice noodles are room temp or warm when added so they do not cool down the soup too much. In a pinch, running cold noodles under hot water will quickly bring them back to life. Then they can be added to the soup with delightful results.

Enjoy!

How to pronounce Pho.