Vietnamese Pho

It is a long process to get the good beef broth for a bowl of Pho.

It started a day before with all the trimmings for a tasty bonemarrow dumpling soup. It was my mothers best kept secret. One day I stood beside the table to write everything down.

The recipe for them was posted 2016 and is still on the blog.

But more importantly, I needed to prepare a decent and very rich and clear beef stock. That was the base for this Pho. But for a couple of other dishes too.

I was happy to find fresh marrow bones at the supermarket. Together with a large piece of beef shank that was the start of my soup. 

To get a clear soup, I always start the beef with the bones first. After a couple of minutes, a lot of grey brown foam comes to the top. With my Japanese fine mash spoon I take that all out. That can take up to 10 minutes.

Vegetables are the foundation of a good stock. I do not cut them up, just halve or quarter them. For a bit more taste, bay leaves and dried chili were added. The only salt came in with the tablespoon if my homemade veg stock paste.

I do not salt my stocks on purpose. The Pho will get some fishsauce later.

Letting the stock through a fine mash sieve and cooling it down over night, helped to take the thin layer of fat off. I kept veggies and meat seperately in the fridge.

Now in with the spices and fishsauce. I bought thin flank steak an put that in the freezer for 30 min. Then it is easier to cut in thin strips. It goes in the soup bowl raw. Just the hot broth will cook it. Some veggies from the soup, fresh green salad leaves ( I could not find Bok Choy) and cooked pieces of beef shank went in the bowl.

But not forget the wide rice noodles, soaked in boiling water for 10 min. 

Some fresh coriander and parsley as an addition to the Pho.