What the Pho?!
I’ve been working hard perfecting the techniques and recipe for Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup, or Pho, just for you. And really, I’m not kissing ass or anything, but it’s because of you guys that I’m posting this recipe! Of all the cookbooks that I own, the best recipe that I’ve found for Pho is from:
Andrea Nguyen’s 
Into the Vietnamese Kitchen, which is one of the most comprehensive books on the cuisine of Vietnam. The book also won nominations for a James Beard Foundation award and two International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP). Definitely a must-have book for Asian food lovers.
So, let’s get right to it - I’ve got lots of photos to share.
Oh and the dish is pronounced “fuh” and not “foo” or “foe” or “puh”
Yeah, Pho is cheap to purchase at a good Pho restaurant…but to be able to make a home made version? Pretty Pho-king amazing, if you ask me.
Pho Spices
It’s best if you can get each spice separately, but I do find that the Pho spice packets are pretty convenient. They cost less than $2.00 and even come with a mesh bag to put all the spices in. Pho spices include cinnamon sticks, cloves, coriander pods, star anise and cardamom. Whatever you do, don’t use the Pho spice paste. Nasty stuff, that’s Pho-sho’.
Best Bones for Pho
My regular non-Asian supermarket doesn’t sell good bones for Pho - so I opted for the frozen bag of leg and knuckle bones that I got at my local Asian market. See that wonderful yellow marrow? That’s pure flavoring that makes your Pho taste full, meaty and rich. But let’s say that you can’t find leg/knuckle bones. Go ahead and use whatever beef bones your supermarket has and just supplement with some oxtail bones or a pound of beef meat (rump, chuck, brisket, etc.) for extra flavor.
Bones are parboiled first for a good 10 minutes in rapidly boiling water - this gets rid of the yucky impurities like blood particles and extra fat. You’ll see gray foam float up to the surface as you boil. After 10 minutes, dump out all of the water, rinse out your pot, rinse the bones, and refill with clean, cool water. I know it’s an extra step, but this will give you the pure, clean-tasting broth.
This is just after blanching - the golden gelatinous goodness is where all the flavor and body is.
Charring Onions and Ginger
Charring or roasting the onions and ginger gives you a wonderfully mellow and naturally sweet flavor. I used to char over an open flame on my stovetop with a pair of tongs, but that got pretty tiring. Plus, metal tongs + long time over flame = very hothothot hands. So now, I just raise my oven rack to the highest position and turn my broiler on. See how golden the ginger gets?
Damn Scumbag!
So here is my broth boilin’ away with the mesh bag of spices, charred ginger, charred onions and beef bones. You can see floating bits of fat and the damn scumbag.
Fat & marrow bits = good eats. Try to keep that in the broth!
But gotta get rid of the scum! I use a very, very fine mesh strainer designed just for scum. heh. A scumbag strainer. Can you imagine if I had a line of cookware and tools - “Steamy Kitchen Scumbag Strainer.” Straining the scum keeps your broth pure and clean. The lower the simmer, the less scum you have.
A note on broth simmering time - I simmer the broth for 3 hours. According to both Andrea Nguyen and Corinne Trang (author of Authentic Vietnamese Cooking and former editor and director of Saveur’s test kitchen) - all of the flavors in the bone have been extracted after 3 hours.
Thin Sliced Meat
You can use a thinly sliced flank steak, london broil, sirloin, eye of round or tri-tip. Instead of beef slices, you could use beef balls (Bo Vien) found in the freezer section of your Asian market. The secret to cutting meat is to cut across the grain. You want your beef slices as thin as possible, and I always throw the whole chunk of meat in the freezer for 15 minutes to make it easier to slice thinly.
Pho Noodles
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Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup typically uses rice noodles. You can buy them dried or fresh. I love the slippery softness of fresh noodles.
These are the noodles that I used in my dish - the shape of these noodles are not quite as flat as most Pho rice noodles, Most restaurants will use dried, flat rice noodles. Look for ones that are medium thickness and flat. |
Pho-tastic Condiments
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On the tables of every Pho restaurant, you’ll see these two condiments, Cock Sauce (Sriracha hot chili sauce) and Hoisin Sauce. You can squirt and slather as much of these two condiments as you want…but I’m a purist.
If I’m going to spend a couple of hours carefully crafting a rich, flavor-packed, clean soup - I better taste every damn drop. Condiment sauces just get in the way. Sometimes, I’ll squirt a bit of each sauce in a little dish and dip my meat in the sauce as I take a bite. You ask….why do we call it Cock sauce? See that rooster on the bottle? |
Pho Vegetables and Herbs
Fresh mint, cilantro, basil, bean sprouts, limees, sliced chili peppers are just some of my favorite accompaniments in my Pho. Set a plate at the table and your guests can pick and choose what they like.
Great Pho-tograph of fresh vegetables and herbs
Pho-Shizzle, My Bad-Ass Bowl-o Noozle!!
Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup - Pho
adapted from: Into the Vietnamese Kitchen
serves 8
Sometimes, I omit the 1lb of beef meat in the broth (you’ll see I’ve made it optional) - as I’ve found that as long as I have good bones, the broth will have enough flavor to not need the extra beef meat.
THE BROTH
2 onions, halved
4″ nub of ginger, halved lengthwise
5-6 lbs of good beef bones, preferably leg and knuckle
1 lb of beef meat - chuck, brisket, rump, cut into large slices [optional]
6 quarts of water
1 package of Pho spices [1 cinnamon stick, 1 tbl coriander seeds, 1 tbl fennel seeds, 5 star anise, 1 cardamom pod, 6 whole cloves - in mesh bag]
1 1/2 tbl salt
1/4 cup fish sauce
1 inch chunk of yellow rock sugar (about 1 oz) - or 1oz of regular sugar
THE BOWLS
2 lbs rice noodles (dried or fresh)
cooked beef from the broth
1/2 lb flank, london broil, sirloin or eye of round, sliced as thin ias possible.
big handful of each: mint, cilantro, basil
2 limes, cut into wedges
2-3 chili peppers, sliced
2 big handfuls of bean sprouts
Hoisin sauce
Cock sauce (Sriracha)
Char: Turn your broiler on high and move rack to the highest spot. Place ginger and onions on baking sheet. Brush just a bit of cooking oil on the cut side of each. Broil on high until ginger and onions begin to char. Turn over and continue to char. This should take a total of 10-15 minutes.
Parboil the bones: Fill large pot (12-qt capacity) with cool water. Boil water, and then add the bones, keeping the heat on high. Boil vigorously for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse the bones and rinse out the pot. Refill pot with bones and 6 qts of cool water. Bring to boil over high heat and lower to simmer. Using a ladle or a fine mesh strainer, remove any scum that rises to the top.
Boil broth: Add ginger, onion, spice packet, beef, sugar, fish sauce, salt and simmer uncovered for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the beef meat and set aside (you’ll be eating this meat later in the bowls) Continue simmering for another 1 1/2 hours. Strain broth and return the broth to the pot. Taste broth and adjust seasoning - if you want a little more flavor, add a few dashes more of fish sauce, large pinch of salt and a small nugget of rock sugar (or large pinch of regular sugar).
Prepare noodles & meat: Slice your flank/london broil/sirloin as thin as possible - try freezing for 15 minutes prior to slicing to make it easier. Remember the cooked beef meat that was part of your broth? Cut or shred the meat and set aside. Arrange all other ingredients on a platter for the table. Your guests will “assemble” their own bowls. Follow the directions on your package of noodles - there are many different sizes and widths of rice noodles, so make sure you read the directions. For some fresh rice noodles, just a quick 5 second blanch in hot water is all that’s needed. The package that I purchased (above) - needed about 45 seconds in boiling water.
Ladling: Bring your broth back to a boil. Line up your soup bowls next to the stove. Fill each bowl with rice noodles, shredded cooked beef and raw meat slices. As soon as the broth comes back to a boil, ladle into each bowl. the hot broth will cook your raw beef slices. Serve immediately. Guests can garnish their own bowls as they wish.
***
You like Chicken Pho (Pho Ga)???
Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup (Pho Ga)
***
February 9th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
The Pho step-by-step is a work of art, Jaden! You are amazing:)
February 9th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
I thought that pho broth was supposed to simmer for more time (maybe 6 hours). Is it not always the case?
February 9th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Hey Ricky,
According to both Andrea Nguyen and Corinne Trang (author of Authentic Vietnamese Cooking and former editor and director of Saveur’s test kitchen) - 3 hours is sufficient. All of the flavors have been extracted after 3 hours.
Jaden
February 9th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Crrrraaaaaazy! I’ve had people ask me when I’m going to make this, because I am a big fan of pho. But there are such wonderful pho places here in Denver that have the benefit of economy of scale.
I’ll order a medium bowl to go for $5, which includes a huge container of broth and another container full of bean sprouts, the meat, basil, sawtooth herb, limes, jalapenos and two kinds of sauce. That’s enough for two dinners! To make the same at home would cost me way more, both in ingredients and time.
Hats off to you! That looks sooo delicious. I think I’ll go get me some.
(Love the captioning, too.)
February 9th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
Jaden - Skimming the scum off of stock ranks pretty highly on my list of ‘least favorite activities.’ However, this pho looks delicious enough that I may have to compromise my principles - and beg my butcher for some bones!
February 9th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
yay! i was just looking for a good recipe for this! my daughter has become totally addicted to this, and she is ‘dragging’ me with her! (i admit, i go willingly!) i told her it looks pretty easy to make, but she insists it is so cheap, why bother? (she is not a cook, so she doesn’t get that part!)
February 9th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Thank you! I really needed some visuals on making good pho broth. I just picked up a bag of star anise, but I didn’t run across bags of pho seasoning. I plan on making this broth Monday. I love a good pho. I have to drive an hour to the Korean market to get the ingredients, but it’s better than driving an hour to get pho and bring it back home. How well does the broth freeze? I was thinking of making a big batch and freezing the soup in quart bags. Instance late night snack!
February 9th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
In addition to the sauces you mentioned, our local Pho place also has a less spicy red chili sauce of some kind in an unlabeled little glass jar. We go there every week for their fried rice, which is awesome… and we haven’t been able to find anything like that sauce at the grocery store. Any ideas what it might be? We can’t get enough of it when we’re there… just the right level of flavor/spiciness!
February 9th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
Kudos on the book by Andrea ! Her book really is the best bet if you were only to have one Vietnamese cookbook. Good job and you cut the lime wedges correctly too!
We usually simmer our Pho for about 3-4 hours too. But we also let the bones sit in the broth overnight too to further finish it off to complete the flavor.
February 10th, 2008 at 12:39 am
That’s one of my fave things to make!I’ve used beef ribs which are available in most grocery stores. They make good eating too. I like making it in the winter as I can leave the whole pot outside on the deck and skim off the congealed fat. In answer to Joanne, this soup keeps very well in the freezer. Here in the great white north, I leave mine outside for few days or till we finish it. Great comfort food!
February 10th, 2008 at 2:38 am
*drool*
i love pho. i keep meaning to learn how to make some…a couple of summers ago i tried to embark on a Great Asian Cooking Experiment (aka learn how to make at least a few solid dishes from each asian country). i made summer rolls and promptly got lazy and gave up =P. you have re-energized my need to expand my repertoire of asian cuisine — or at least viet!
February 10th, 2008 at 2:50 am
love to suck that yellow morrow
Yummy
February 10th, 2008 at 3:01 am
Wonderful post, Jaden. A refreshing change from all of the chocolate (which I am currently up to my armpits in!). I love Pho, but as you know, there are very few restaurants that serve it around here. I will definitely have to set aside some time to try this.
February 10th, 2008 at 5:06 am
It is funny i just saw today morning in a travel show this same soup and the presenter was saying how delicious it was and they have it for breakfast.
I have never been a vietnameese food fan except for the spring rolls.
This soup i would like to try .
February 10th, 2008 at 6:58 am
Jaden, you rock! I want to have your children (or your leftovers).
Thanks for the great post on one of my absolute favorites. By the way, your photography is improving tremendously. Keep up the good work.
February 10th, 2008 at 7:16 am
Phoa! It looks pho good!
February 10th, 2008 at 7:47 am
Head off to you jaden! Not all Vietnamese have the heart to try pho at home (i think we treasure our little pho shops a bit too much).
Having said that, I don’t think the noodles u r using is right… It should be thinner and fatter in shape. Of course this is me being very picky
February 10th, 2008 at 7:57 am
I have never made this or have tasted it before. It sounds delicious pho sure. Thank you for the step by step instructions as I really like that. It’s like you are there with me in the kitchen.
(how fun that would be!) I think you have gone to a lot of trouble to do this excellent post. Much appreciated. x
February 10th, 2008 at 8:48 am
A lazy person’s tip on making the stock: Bring the stock up to a simmer on the stovetop, cover, and then place into a 250 degree oven. This will keep your stock at a simmer (boiling will emulsify the impurities and fat into the stock, making it cloudy and not so rich) without having to constantly adjust the heat under the pot.
You’ll still have to skim the scum frequently.
I’d argue that longer than 3 hours makes a better stock, but we’re making soup, not demi glace, so 3 hours should do the job.
February 10th, 2008 at 9:16 am
Good lord. I wanted to lick the screen…
February 10th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
You kill me Jaden! I peed a little reading this.
Mmmmmmmmmmmm pppphhhhooooooooooooooooo…………………
February 10th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
“Can you imagine if I had a line of cookware and tools …” Gee, where would you have gotten such an idea?
Great pics once again. The new studio’s working well!
February 10th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Wonderful post! I love pho, but I often make a quick version of the broth using store-bought and homemade beef and chicken broth combined. Now I really have to try this version — it looks so good!
February 10th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Beef looks so delicious…. with the noodles and all the herbs… are just too perfect for a meal!
February 10th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Excellent post! I think I’ll have to work my way up to this recipe. But it looks great!
February 10th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
Response to Anh - Not sure if there really is a “right” noodle. As long as it’s a flat rice noodle, every family or region has it’s own personal, noodle style preference. IMHO- it’s all about having a good, rich broth. With that you can serve it to me with almost any type of Pho noodle, I’ll eat it!
I’m gonna go ahead and say this and ready to take the beatings: I’ve had left over Pho broth, but no more pho noodles. So I’ve eaten my Pho with…ramen noodles! Yes, I’ve broken all Pho laws here and my ancestors are about to jump off the family altar and slap me silly, but it’s even more sacrilege to let good broth go to waste! I don’t call this Pho any more, but rather, Nemarohp (phoramen spelled backwards).
February 10th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
This looks wonderful! I don’t suppose you have a really good chicken version of this?!
February 10th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
Charlotte - absolutely I do:
http://steamykitchen.com/blog/2007/07/14/vietnamese-chicken-noodle-soup-pho-ga/
February 10th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
I am SO excited to see this recipe! I’ve been in love with pho for years, despite moves to several cities and states, and have finally reached a point where I can no longer find truly good pho…. but now I can make my own! Thank you so much for spelling it all out for me!
February 10th, 2008 at 11:25 pm
I am so glad to know what this dish is finally called. We have a restaurant here and there are only pictures and the Vietnamese symbols. I just sort of “point” to the beef soup picture.
I’m totally trying this!
February 11th, 2008 at 1:04 am
Mmm…awesome photo tutorial! I love flank steak in pho. Brisket and tripe pho is also delicious, even though many people might turn up their nose at it.
February 11th, 2008 at 1:37 am
Great pictures and captions. You make it look easy, but I think I’d rather got out and buy some. Good to know how it’s pronounced so I don’t sound like a dork when I order it!
February 11th, 2008 at 3:13 am
I have always wanted to make my own Pho and recently I bought a book on Viet cuisine. Once i saw the recipe, I changed my mind. Looking at yours now seems like it’s not too difficult after all. Let me give it a try one weekend.
February 11th, 2008 at 9:04 am
Thanks for all the directional photos Jaden. This soup is Pho#$@%& fantastic
February 11th, 2008 at 9:44 am
I’m pretty sure Pho is the best stuff ever!
I love going out to eat it. They bring you bowls larger than a basketball filled with yummy goodness.
Thanks for the instructions and pictures!
February 11th, 2008 at 10:27 am
Fabulous Jaden
I would love to try some pho but I do not eat beef. Do you think chicken would work here? The flavour would be tottally different of course…
February 11th, 2008 at 11:18 am
Jaden,
Your appreciation for bone marrow rockz! Roasting and eating marrow straight is one of my recent obsessions. Lately I’ve been missing the abundance of pho I used to enjoy in SoCal . . . DC proper is severely lacking in good pho. Rumor has it there’s some good pho to be found in the suburbs of DC in Northern Virginia . . . but I don’t have a car and am generally not a fan of weekend trips into the burbs. So I’m gonna put your delicious looking and sounding recipe to use. Thanks!
February 11th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
What I would give for a bowl of pho right now. Love it for breakfast!
February 11th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Jayden: I noticed the yellow peel or onion “skins” along with the onion in the broth. Never have done this in all my years of soup making. Does the outer skin enhance the flavor or merely color the broth? Also, I often quick roast the bones before I start the broth, seems to add more depth of flavor to the stock (as does charring onions, etc.). Have you ever seen the “marrow spoons” from probably the 1800’s, when eating the marrow as a meal course was a big event? In soup, yes — but off a spoon, I don’t think so. Anyway, thanks again for a wonderful recipe. It’s so hard to wait days between your posts! I check at least twice a day to see if there is something new from you. Wish there was a new post EVERY day. You ARE the best!!!! Happy trails once again……..
February 11th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
L.K.–what do you mean the 1800s???? Eating marrow as a meal course is still a big event! Check out my blog post from today. I just bought the cool spoon this weekend. I don’t think it was made specifically for marrow, but it worked very well. Cheers.
February 11th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
awww thank you LK!
You can skin the onions if you want, but every time I’ve seen Pho made, it’s with the skin on. Several of my Vietnamese cookbooks just say to leave the skin on.
xo, jaden
February 11th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Pho Shizzle Mah Nizzle!! That stuff looks fan-pho-king-tastic!
I’ve always shyed away from making pho because of the labor intensity and because I’ve always heard it being so time consuming. Yipes! I may, in fact, need to give it a try before the cold weather goes away.
February 11th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Man, I’m so susceptible to food suggestions. I had pho last night because of this.
February 11th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Oh man, I made the same pho jokes in my pho post last month! I guess those goofy jokes never get old.
http://voodoolily.blogspot.com/2008/01/what-ph.html
You totally pwned me with your photography.
February 11th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Wonderful step by step instructions, Jaden. I’m going to make this in a couple of day. It looks so delicious!
February 11th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
I eat this noodle at the Vietnamese restaurant here. Oh may, I just love it so much! thanks for sharing the recipe.
February 11th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
The Pho sounds really good and tasty. Bookmarked. Great photos!
February 11th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
Your modifications are great, Jaden. I think this is a keeper!
February 11th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Pho, pho! I want a bowl now in this cold windy weather!
Happy Lunar New Year - it’s the 5th day today.
February 12th, 2008 at 7:34 am
really helpful step by step guide for someone like me whos never tried making it before. Very very helpful post Jaden. The Pho looks incredibly delicious.
February 12th, 2008 at 9:35 am
Great step by step instructions! My husband and I are big fans of pho
We are going to Hanoi in April and are so excited to finally be able to try pho in Vietnam!
February 12th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
I wanna jump through my 15″ screen and slurp that bowl!!!! no spoon needed!!
Okay for real… maybe some chopstix… looks great fo’ shizzle… lol
B-
February 12th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Beautiful! I love Pho, but I haven’t tried making it.
February 12th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
I’ve never had pho before but it looks awesome. Not to mention the obvious fun in finding ways to use “pho” in a sentence.
February 12th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
this looks awesome, and i am FREEZING in the middle of a NY snowstorm right now. i think a warm thai soup would be just perfect. oh, and now i need a scum strainer.
February 12th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
Jaden,
Pho-king awesome post. We don’t make pho at home because, here in San Jose, the competition between all the Vietnamese restaurants keeps the prices low and the quality high.
February 12th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
I just made this amazingly easy and delicious pot of pho… but now Im wondering how to store it and how long it will last.
Any ideas?!
Thanks!!!!
February 12th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Hi Julie, Just freeze the stock. You can store in refrig for 3 days or freeze for 3 months.
February 12th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
Haha! Wonderful post! It was great fun to read and now you’ve saved me from looking like an idiot if I ever need to say Pho *NOT FOE* in front of people!
February 12th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
I’m reporting back after having made my first pho broth. It was fantastic! I did add more fish sauce after the long simmer, I like it a little more pungent! I have 3 quart bags in the freezer, and I realize I need a bigger pot if I want to make a larger batch. I had gone to my far away Korean market and bought frozen pre-sliced ribeye, and brisket there. Lovely stuff, just fantastic. Since I didn’t find the pre assembled mesh bags of pho seasoning, I used tea bags. I’m not sure what it says in Japanese, but they are poly fiber bags. I still stuck the bag inside a big straining ball, since the tea bag does not close up tightly. I was able to find marrow bones sliced in 2 inch lengths at Publix, so that was great! I did not get as much scum as Jaden did. Hmmm I wonder why. The broth came out a lovely carmel color, with little globs of fat floating on top. I don’t know if that’s to be expected, but it was lovely. What do I do with the leftover bits of marrow that slipped out of the bone? I threw that away along with the bones. I think the rock candy gives the broth a better flavor than regular granulated sugar. Did I get it right?
February 12th, 2008 at 11:28 pm
http://cookieloveseating.blogspot.com/2008/01/pho-vietnamese-beef-noodle-soup.html
I did pho a few weeks back too. it was awesome! lots of similarities with your recipe.
MMMMMMM pho = food of the earth gods
February 12th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
Wonderful Joanne!
Secretly, one of my fav parts of making pho broth is eating the marrow! I usually just spoon it out, dab a little hot sauce on it and I’m in heaven….
xo, jaden
February 13th, 2008 at 1:45 am
Great pictures, Jaden. I purchased this cookbook a few months ago but haven’t had a chance to make anything from it yet.
I picked up a “Scum Strainer” in my travels least year. Here’s some pictures of what it looks like. I can’t read Japanese, so maybe you’ll be able to source it elsewhere.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2111/2261608803_e2f9321e59.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2277/2261608809_47186d337d.jpg
BTW, how’s that XO sauce recipe coming?
February 13th, 2008 at 5:14 am
Gong Xi Fa Chai to you…I absolutely love Pho! I miss Vietnamese food from San Francisco. I want a bowl of your bad ass Pho! Hahaha…that somehow came out wrong. :p
February 13th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
That is one of my very favorite cookbooks. It’s so delightfully personal.
I have been eating pho for lunch a few times a week since its so cold out. Now I just might make some at home.
February 13th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
Hey Jaden
Wonderful pics, and I just happened to have Pho Rau Cai and Muc Chien today at Trang Viet. If you want a break from stinking up your kitchen, drive up to Tampa on Fowler and try them. They are a French Vietnamese place, so the Pho is a little lighter. My other favourite place for Pho and green Papaya salad is Mekong, in St. Pete on 34th st just north of 62nd ave. Have known the owner’s daughters for years and they are always jampacked with the local little Saigon regulars.
The last few times I tried to make Pho I was overwhelmed…rather go drive a few miles and spend 5 bux
February 14th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
I pho lazy, so I always just go out for pho.
February 15th, 2008 at 11:08 am
I’ve been wondering how to make this dish… I always have this one outside and it tastes super, especially on rainy days! Yours look wonderful and yummi…
February 15th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
Next time you’re in town (LA/OC) I need to take you to Little Saigon, with Ann Le if possible. She wrote the “Little Saigon Cookbook” and is expert in all things Vietnamese that’s edible!
February 15th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
J, I have this book an it is an absolute treasure! I wish I was there to enjoy a big bowl of pho with you.
February 16th, 2008 at 1:33 am
Jaden, I hope you don’t mind-I tagged you for being interesting!
at http://fromargentinawithlove.typepad.com/from_argentina_with_love/
February 16th, 2008 at 8:57 am
I LOVE pho, and am super happy that this doesn’t include any lemon grass, which I’m allergic to! Bookmarked to be tried next weekend!
February 17th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
Un-pho-king believable! I love Pho and used to eat it at least once a week in California, have yet to find a place around here. I’m gonna try out the chicken version. Thanks!
February 18th, 2008 at 10:35 am
I am so glad to see this step by step. I have always wanted to try pho, but have been too pho-king intimidated! I am on the hunt for those bags of bones!
February 18th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
Now that’s love! Vietnamese cuisine is probably my favorite and you have no idea how this bowl of soup makes me happy!
February 19th, 2008 at 2:21 am
Oh, Jaden, I love me some pho!
I just don’t love the smell of the bones when I do the first boiling—you know when you get all the gick to come out before you dump out the water, rinse the bones, scrub the pot and start over with fresh water.
So, I only make it in spring, summer or fall when I can have all the windows in the house OPEN to get that smell out! Few cooking smells bug me as much as the smell of the beef blood boiling out of bones. UGH!
But the results are fantastic.
BTW–I love those cookbooks, too! They are great.
Now I feel the need to make some pho as soon as spring arrives. We can have a pho party to celebrate the first bloom of the crocus!
February 20th, 2008 at 12:46 am
I just bought this cookbook because it fit all of my finicky requirements - 1) the author must be native of or have lived in the country for a longer period of time than it requires to get drunk and fraternize with the locals, 2) there must be stories!, and 3) the recipes have to taste good, duh!
I actually just finished my last bowl of this exact Pho Bo not 6 hours ago. When I made the broth, after fine straining there were still little bits in the broth. In comes my personal quote “Laziness is the mother of invention.” So INVENTIVELY, I grabbed a clean towel and strained through that.
Also a large stock pot with a spaghetti strainer insert is AWESOME for initial large stuff removal.
March 4th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
My secret? I simmer for over 6-8 hours (usually overnight), whereupon the “scum” mysteriously collapses back into the broth, and then I strain, then cool, then skim the sheet of pure fat that collects on the top, then strain again. OCD works miracles.
March 14th, 2008 at 12:34 am
I’ve been looking for a good solid pho recipe for awhile now, and this is the most comprehensive one I’ve found!! Pho is definitely my favorite food…I would eat it every single day if I could afford that, but spring break is coming up, and I’m very excited to try out this recipe!
March 14th, 2008 at 12:40 am
hmmm… i will have to share this with my (vietnamese) mother and see what she thinks of the recipe. she makes a mean bowl of pho. it’s a shame i never really learned much vietnamese cuisine from her. and she is one of those cooks who never writes down a recipe!!! i should get her to write a cookbook
everyone is always telling her she needs to open a restaurant, but she doesn’t want to do that. i swear she is one of the best cooks i know, and i’m not just saying that b/c i’m her offspring 
i’m also surprised you didn’t talk about the intonation involved in pronouncing the word. when pronounced properly, it sounds like you are asking a question. kind of like “HUH?!”
May 1st, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Ahh…I just returned to the States after 3 months in Ha Noi. I live in an area where I can’t even get westernized/bastardized Pho, so your post is a godsend. Using your instructions and a bit of ingenuity it’s simmering as I type…smells like victory!
June 6th, 2008 at 3:23 am
For the pho spice, the ingredients include “6 whole cloves” … 6 whole cloves of what?! Will I be able to find this in an asian market too?
Thanks so much for posting this recipe!! I’m so anxious to try it!!!! <3333333
June 6th, 2008 at 7:22 am
Cloves are a common spice. So look for the spice called cloves, either at the Asian market or at the standard supermarket.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clove
June 23rd, 2008 at 10:04 pm
once, when i was about to make pho, my viet friend stopped me, telling me about a viet myth. supposedly, if a non-viet person tried to make the noodle soup, it would taste like blood or worms or something equally disgusting. and as absurd as it was, it scared the heck outta me and i didn’t attempt it. but maybe…maybe, i’ll throw caution to the winds this time. nice pics!