How do you make Vietnamese Pho? | National Dish of Vietnam

There seems to be Vietnamese restaurants popping up all over the place – and for good reason, the food is the nuts. How do you make Vietnamese Pho (pronounced fur)?

This is one National Dish we don’t mind posting, we did this as part of a banquet, my good chum @fp_in_the_kitchen and I. I’ll focus on the Pho here though and post the other dishes separately.

Get ready for some good food from ‘The Nam‘, Cheltenham…that’s fucking terrible…

Print this bad boy out

How do you make Vietnamese Pho? | National Dish of Vietnam

This is a single recipe that was part of an entire banquet - for 4-6. We’re focusing on Vietnamese Beef Phở Gỏi cuốn. The cooking times won't require you to be working non-stop - this is all about the prep. You need to prep ahead - OK?

Course

Dips and bits, Main Dish, Starter

Cuisine

Vietnamese

Prep Time

30 Mins

Cook Time

10 Hours

Servings

People

Ingredients

• 1 bone of beef get this from your butcher
• 2 good size sirloin steak
• 1 large bunch fresh coriander finely chop the stalks and set aside (you'll need the leaves too)
• 2 whole lime cut into quarters
• 1 litre beef stock
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1 large thumb fresh ginger peeled and sliced finely
• 3 medium white onion finely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic finely sliced
• 4 large fresh red chilli sliced, don't both to de-seed (unless you really want to)
• 6 tbls dark soy sauce
• 2 tbls fish sauce
• 350 grams noodles your choice, but flat rice noodles is the norm
• 2 tsp Chinese five spice
• 8 chopped spring onions try and slice them at an extreme angle, they look cool
• 1 bowl full mange tout use any bean you like, sugar snaps would also be amaze
• 1 handful Chinese greens

Course Dips and bits, Main Dish, Starter Cuisine Vietnamese Prep Time 30 Mins Cook Time 10 Hours Servings People Ingredients 1 bone of beef get this from your butcher 2 good size sirloin steak 1 large bunch fresh coriander finely chop the stalks and set aside (you'll need the leaves too) 2 whole lime cut into quarters 1 litre beef stock 1 cup bean sprouts 1 large thumb fresh ginger peeled and sliced finely 3 medium white onion finely chopped 5 cloves garlic finely sliced 4 large fresh red chilli sliced, don't both to de-seed (unless you really want to) 6 tbls dark soy sauce 2 tbls fish sauce 350 grams noodles your choice, but flat rice noodles is the norm 2 tsp Chinese five spice 8 chopped spring onions try and slice them at an extreme angle, they look cool 1 bowl full mange tout use any bean you like, sugar snaps would also be amaze 1 handful Chinese greens

Instructions

1. Right, now the prep for this easy as hell, but after that there is a 10 hour wait - and it's worth it. If you want to make a real Vietnamese Pho, packed with flavour, you gotta do it this way. Nothing wrong with leaving it over night by the way, the longer the better.
2. You're gonna need some beef bones, any decent butcher should be able to sort you out with these. My guy did good. Get the oven going, place the bone(s) into a roasting tray (only needs to be big enough to take it), chop up an onion or two and some lemongrass, oil it and pop in the oven for about 20 mins at 200.

   
3. Whilst the beef bone is building up some colour, add some oil to a stock pot or saucepan on a medium high heat and then add the remaining white onion, garlic (hold a little back), two thirds of the chilli, ginger, coriander stalks and Chinese five spice - give a stir and let the onions soften before.
4. Whip the beef bone out of the oven, it should be gnarly and brown, drop it (along with the onion and lemon grass) into the stock pot and then add enough beef stock to cover the bone. Add the fish sauce. Bring to the boil, turn it down to super super low simmer, lid on and leave it. For AT LEAST 10 HOURS.
5. Whilst that's going on, use this time to marinate your sirloin steaks. In a dish that you can cover, add soy sauce, garlic and lime juice and drench the steaks in it - cover with cling film and refrigerate.
6. Now you should have a deep broth which you'll add a load of goodies that we'll prep now. Everything will be separate, you and your guests will build their own. You'll need some Ramen or noodles bowls. Strain your stock and add it back to the pan. if you want it nice and clear, do it twice through clean muslin. Now keep it hot (do not boil).

   
7. Ok, so we're gonna have some sirloin steak, some noodles, some mange tout, bean sprouts, spring onions, coriander leaves - you can totally go off piste here, char-grilled baby pak choy would be the nuts.
8. To avoid running your ass off in the final moment, firstly prep the stuff that can be served cold, lay the table, put something down to take the hot stock pot - get everything ready, so as you cook and heat things up, you can just serve and sit with your guests and enjoy it. Just think it through for a mo - it's not hard - make life easy.
9. The main event is the steak, for that you need a very hot pan (I prefer flat bottom not griddle - bring more of the meat into contact with the heat, resulting in more gnarlyness). Get some boiling water on for the mange tout, place a sieve over that and put the greens in, cover that with a lid. Only a few mins.
10. Prep the noodles to time too. We're gonna cook this steak rare - hot pan, pop em in, season with some salt and LEAVE THEM THE HELL ALONE for a few mins. When you can't bear it any longer, lift and look for decent amount of charring and flip em. This will be for a 2 mins tops probably.
11. On a piece of wood, whip the steaks out and slice them. Take to the table.

    
12. Everything is done - build your bowl with noodles first, then stock (provide a ladle) and add what you want, finishing with a few strips of steak and sprinkle with sprint onions.