Phở. Not Faux.

, on

May 25, 2019

One of the best parts of working at the Honors College at a Research One university is meeting students and their families from every corner of the earth.

The global perspective I gain without leaving my office is truly amazing. And when I leave my office, I look at the world through a different lens.

I now have friends from almost every continent. (We have yet to enroll any penguins from Antarctica.) Knowing these brilliant young scholars is a great joy, and it has opened my palate to all variety of cuisines… and you know I love that!

Whether the students are from abroad or are first or second generation Americans doesn’t really matter. What matters is that they keep their cultural identity alive, and much of that comes from their culinary traditions.

Meals associated with holidays. National dishes. Holy day suppers. Mom’s recipes. Dad’s recipes. Those from grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, friends.

As far as I feel comfortable, I ask if they are willing to share family recipes, so I can bring their traditions to our home. This has brought to our table subjis from India, injera from Ethiopia, potato dishes from Peru, and – today – phở from Vietnam.

At freshman orientation almost 5 years ago, I met incoming freshman Alexa and her mother, Thuy. Within minutes we were onto my favorite subject – food. After discussions of the best restaurants in town, we soon hit on home cooking and Thuy’s favorite recipes.

Thuy was saddened by the news that I am allergic to garlic, as it is so prevalent in Vietnamese cuisine. “Not to worry,” I told her, “I can always have phở!” (I am pretty much an expert on international garlic-free recipes – as long as people stick to tradition.)

Every once in a while, Alexa would tell me that her mom sent extra phở broth for me, and I would run out and get all the ingredients to finish the dish: rice noodles, onion, beef slices, cilantro, Thai basil, scallions, and bean sprouts. Such a treat! Last month, though (and perhaps because Alexa is graduating), Thuy sent her recipe for Phở Tái.

The recipe is easy to make (although it is quite a time commitment!), and is especially easy if you have a good Asian grocery where you can buy bags of the meat bones you need, as well as precut slices of beef, and all the other ingredients to flavor the broth.

Thuy finishes her phở with hoisin sauce. Because it contains garlic, I can’t use it so I guess homemade hoisin will be next on my DIY list! But her broth needs nothing to enhance it. It has amazing and complex flavors and, while it takes the better part of a day to make (much of which is unattended), it is worth it, and the house is filled with wave after wave of mouthwatering fragrances as one ingredient is added after another.

I can’t tell you how much I will miss Alexa after she graduates… but I know we will keep our friendship through the years, and I will have her (and Thuy) at my side every time I make this phở recipe. Congratulations and good luck, Alexa!

~ David

Phở Tái
Recipe from Diemthuy Ngo

Aromatics
2 sticks cinnamon
2 teaspoons whole cloves
2 teaspoons dried coriander seeds
3 dried cardamom pods, crushed
6 dried star anise

Stock and Seasoning
1 large yellow onion, papery skin removed
5 ounces ginger root, skin lightly scraped
3 pounds mixed beef bones (ox tail, marrow, shank, knuckle)
6 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
8 quarts water
1/4 cup sugar
1 large daikon radish, 8-10 inches, cut into three pieces
1 Fuji apple, pricked 5 times with a fork
3-4 tablespoons Vietnamese fish sauce
2 phở seasoning packets (I used Phở Hoa brand)

Garnishes
2 jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced
8 ounces bean sprouts
sprigs of cilantro
sprigs of Thai basil
2 limes, cut into wedges
hoisin sauce

hot sauce

To Serve
2 pounds fresh rice noodles
sliced eye-round beef steak*
1 medium yellow onion, very thinly sliced
5 green onions/scallions, thinly sliced
* purchase pre-sliced from an Asian market

Place the aromatics in a dry skillet and place over medium-high heat and toast for about 5 minutes, shaking constantly to keep them from burning. Wrap them in a piece of cheesecloth and tie it tightly with kitchen string. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Roast the onion and ginger on a lined baking sheet for 30-40 minutes until the onion is browned and aromatic.

While the vegetables are roasting, add the 8 quarts of water to a very large stockpot and bring to a simmer. Wash the beef bones thoroughly. Add the bones and 3 tablespoons salt to another stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, and cook at a rolling boil for 10 minutes to remove impurities from the bones. Drain and let cool slightly. Using a brush, scrub the bones of the brownish scum and rinse well. Don’t scrub off the meat or fat – these will flavor the broth significantly.

To the 8 quarts of water, add the remaining 3 tablespoons salt and 1/4 cup sugar, and the scrubbed bones. Bring them back to a boil, then add the roasted onion, ginger (I crushed the ginger in several places to allow it to release more flavor), the daikon, apple, and the aromatics (in cheesecloth). Set the broth to the barest simmer.

Overall, the broth will cook for 5 hours. During this time, skim the broth frequently; you will need to do this more frequently in the first couple of hours. The broth should be clear. After two hours, remove and discard the onion and the apple before they completely disintegrate. After four hours, remove the daikon, ginger, and aromatics and add the phở seasoning packets. Note: these packets are akin to teabags – you don’t open and empty the contents. After 4 1/2 hours, add the fish sauce and then taste for seasoning, adding more salt or fish sauce to suit your taste.

At 5 hours, the broth is ready. Even after all the skimming, there is still a lot of fat from the bones. You can let it cool and then skim the fat from the surface. At Thuy’s recommendation, I left some fat to make the broth silky. She told me that, in some traditional restaurants, diners will be offered small bowls of the skimmed fat to add back into their phở.

In the last 15 minutes of cooking the broth, prepare the garnishes and place them decoratively on a platter. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Blanch sliced onions for 30-60 seconds, and remove with a strainer (spider). Blanch the rice noodles for 15 seconds and then divide among 6-8 bowls. Top blanched noodles with raw beef slices, onion slices, and sliced scallions. Ladle boiling broth into the bowls and serve immediately, while passing the platter of garnishes and bowls of hoisin and hot sauces.

When I garnish, I add a few cilantro leaves, torn Thai basil leaves, bean sprouts and a squeeze of lime. I generally don’t add jalapeno and, as mentioned above, I don’t add hoisin sauce. Sliced precooked meatballs can also be added, but I prefer it with only the beef slices.

Serves 6-8.

beef/pho/pho tai/soup/vietnamese

29 Comments

Fran @ Gday Souffle
May 25, 2019 at 11:00 pm
How fortunate to have access to an authentic family recipe! I'll be saving this recipe (but definitely will be using the garlic-based ingredients)! I wonder if the word Phở is related to the French word 'feu' for fire?
Reply
- Cocoa and Lavender
  June 4, 2019 at 8:06 pm
  That is a great question, Fran! I imagine there is a connection considering the French history in Vietnam.
  Reply
Eha
May 26, 2019 at 12:30 am
Oh, David! Since I live in Australia pho has been an eternal favourite so often cooked for some fifty years! Fran, yes, it is the Vietnamese pot au feu – one of the marvellous fusion dishes the French left behind when we no longer spoke of French Indo-China ! Since I work from home the broth is begun ere I settle back in bed with a mug of breakfast coffee . . . I let it 'brew' all day with wonderful aromas emanating from the kitchen for an early dinner eightyish . . . We have a large choice of all the bones you mention at all our supermarkets and all else can usually be reached for in the kitchen . . . I don't use jalapeno peppers and must admit to fine-slicing my own beef just before service . . . .must make soonest . . .
Reply
- Cocoa and Lavender
  June 4, 2019 at 8:12 pm
  Thanks for confirming the French origins of this dish, Eha! As I said to Fran, it makes a lot of sense. This is a perfect winter dish… The smell of the broth while it simmers all day but make your home smell incredible!
  Reply
he needs food
May 26, 2019 at 3:57 am
This is one dish I've never made, I'm ashamed to say. I guess due to Sydney being peppered with many Vietnamese communities, and those wonderful restaurants, and me never even thinking to make it. I bet your neighbours were drooling when they smelled the aromas wafting from your place!
Reply
- Eha
  May 26, 2019 at 5:19 am
  Oh yes ! Glad you mentioned the very many Viet restaurants – I am Sydney also . . . had I: it would again have looked like skiting ! Go buy the bones from Coles and try – absolutely foolproof, especially with winter coming on ! I have a darling Chicago friend who went and tasted once, then ate his way through the top ten in the food columns and now almost 'boringly' (naturally not !) has a pot on the stove whenever we talk . . .
  Reply
- Cocoa and Lavender
  June 4, 2019 at 8:13 pm
  Making it ourselves seems a bit unattainable… But once you know the tricks, it is so simple and it’s fun having it come from your own kitchen. I wish we had that many Vietnamese restaurants here in Tucson, John… We love the cuisine!
  Reply
Ngeun
May 26, 2019 at 9:41 am
Mmmm – yum. That looks like a great bowl of pho! A lovely recipe and a beautiful story – I love the varied and international recipes you share. We love pho and a big pot can make easy meals for days. Such a comforting and nourishing dish rich in flavours perfect all year round. Will remember to add daikon and fuji apple next time. Sad to hear that you're allergic to garlic. I once had a severe allergic reaction to a prawn dish but now eat it seldomly. All the best wishes to you two. 😀
Reply
- Cocoa and Lavender
  June 4, 2019 at 8:14 pm
  Thanks for your very sweet comment, Ngeun! My garlic allergy is a minor inconvenience… There are so many foods that don’t include garlic or for which the garlic can be omitted, that I don’t feel I suffered terribly at all. It’s much easier than being allergic to larger categories like wheat, dairy, nuts, soy, and someone. I hope you both make this, and enjoy the process as much as I did!
  Reply
2pots2cook
May 26, 2019 at 9:51 am
Thank you so much for opening new doors for me David. You are so lucky to have people from every single corner of the world !
Reply
- Cocoa and Lavender
  June 4, 2019 at 8:15 pm
  I think that eating food from different cultures helps us to understand the world in a better way. Don’t you think so, Davorka?
  Reply
Susan
May 26, 2019 at 11:28 am
A nice tribute to your student and to her mother. The bowl of Pho looks amazing. There is supposedly a wonderful Pho restaurant here in the Cap. District that I have yet to try!
Reply
- Cocoa and Lavender
  June 4, 2019 at 8:16 pm
  I don’t think there was any Vietnamese food in Albany when I live there, Susan. Check out the new place for me, and let me know!
  Reply
Kelly | Foodtasia
May 26, 2019 at 1:37 pm
David, this recipe is a real keeper! It's so awesome to have an authentic recipe! I've spent most of the last 15 years in Dubai, which has over 200 different nationalities. It's been really wonderful getting to know so many different people, celebrate their holidays with them, and enjoy their food.
Reply
- Cocoa and Lavender
  June 4, 2019 at 8:16 pm
  It would be so wonderful to live in a community like Dubai to be able to taste all those foods from around the world, Kelly!
  Reply
Sherry's Pickings
May 27, 2019 at 3:51 am
this sounds like a glorious taste sensation of a dish david. all those fab flavours, and beautiful aromatics. we are lucky here in Oz to have so many great Viet restaurants, and can so readily buy the ingredients to make them at home. cheers sherry
Reply
- Cocoa and Lavender
  June 4, 2019 at 8:17 pm
  I’m not surprised there are a lot of Vietnamese restaurants in Australia, Sherry. It’s much closer than here, and we have quite a few!
  Reply
Christina | Christina's Cucina
May 27, 2019 at 5:08 am
How lovely for her mum to send you the broth! Giving you her recipe was a lovely gift, so thank you for sharing it with us, too! I adore a good pho! Today would have been a good day for it, funnily enough: 58 degrees and rain in So Cal at the end of May. The strangest weather, ever!
Reply
- Cocoa and Lavender
  June 4, 2019 at 8:18 pm
  Every time she said the broth, it was like getting a gift at Christmas! Now that I have the recipe, I can make it all the time.
  Reply
Ron
May 27, 2019 at 6:56 am
A lovely recipe. But, I must also admit I've not made the full dish from scratch. We're a bit spoiled as we have a Vietnamese food truck that visits our square weekly. They gladly sell Phở broth by the liter, so it makes the dish rather easy. Thuy's recipe, that you so wonderfully presented, is now compelling me to go all in for our next Phở feed.
David this is truly a beautifully written post. I so enjoyed hearing your story of Alexa and Thuy as well as your take on food and culture.
Reply
- Cocoa and Lavender
  June 4, 2019 at 8:18 pm
  Ron – I think you would enjoy making the broth, especially in the winter. It will make your house smell fantastic!
  Reply
Sippity Sup
May 27, 2019 at 2:45 pm
Because I didn't have access (until now!) to a family recipe I did a cheat the last time I made phở I bought the broth from a restaurant and put the rest together at home. My guests loved it but I was a bit embarrassed by the shortcut. GREG
Reply
- Cocoa and Lavender
  June 4, 2019 at 8:19 pm
  I certainly would not be embarrassed, Greg. Your method seems perfectly reasonable! I just think it was really fun to make the broth from scratch…
  Reply
Inger @ Art of Natural Living
May 28, 2019 at 4:56 pm
I'll bet you attend some killer good pot lucks too! But hoisin sauce now–isn't it amazing how these projects spiral!
Reply
- Cocoa and Lavender
  June 4, 2019 at 8:19 pm
  Yes, Inger, it is the black hole of garlic-laden ingredients! Every time that I find one that has garlic in it, I decide I need to make it myself.
  Reply
Kitchen Riffs
May 29, 2019 at 3:35 pm
Phở is SO good. Love it. And I'm ashamed to admit, I've never made it! One of those restaurant things for me. Terrific looking recipe — thanks.
Reply
- Cocoa and Lavender
  June 4, 2019 at 8:21 pm
  As you probably read, John, you’re not alone in this! I just know that my broth (Thuy’s broth) is, by far, so much better than restaurant broth.
  Reply
Valentina
May 29, 2019 at 6:34 pm
That's the best job perk ever! How wonderful to know all of these people/friends from all over the world. When I was in culinary school (many moons ago), I did a big project on Vietnamese cuisine and of course Phở was a big part of it. The best part was going out to Vietnamese restaurants for my research. 🙂 This recipe sounds amazing.
Reply
- Cocoa and Lavender
  June 4, 2019 at 8:22 pm
  That does sound like a lot of fun, Valentina. Even though I didn’t do it for class, I have gone around to all the Vietnamese restaurants in town to try their broth. And I definitely have a favorite…
  Reply

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