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?
Servings Prep Time
4-6People 30Mins
Cook Time
10Hours
Servings Prep Time
4-6People 30Mins
Cook Time
10Hours
Ingredients
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.