Pho

Pho (pronounced "fuh") is Vietnamese fast food. Pho begins with a fairly light broth made by boiling beef shinbones and a few spices until a flavorful consommé results — this can take 24 hours if you want it as good as it can be. When you place your order, the cook adds slices of raw or cooked beef or other meat to a bowl of rice noodles, then ladles in a generous portion of hot broth, and adds chopped green onion and fresh coriander. The soup is served a side plate of garnishes that you can squeeze and sprinkle to make it "your way." This typically includes a slice of lime, fresh bean sprouts, and fresh herbs like oriental basil and Vietnamese mint. You might also like a splash from the always-present bottle of Sriracha chili-garlic sauce or the fish sauce.

Among the most popular meats for Pho:

Whatever way you like it, one thing is certain: you're gonna need a LOT of broth!

Pho

The idea is a light beef broth, untouched by the usual French ingredients that flavor western stocks (onion, carrot, etc.) You can make it any way you want, and you can get away with regular beef broth (canned broth or soup base) diluted to a light broth with water, and flavored by crushed ginger chunks, sliced onions, 2 star anise, a bay leaf, and fennel seeds simmered in the broth for 15-30 minutes, then strained out. But you'll do best with a recipe like this:

Broth

4 or 5 pounds Ox Tails, cut into 1½ -2" pieces and trimmed of fat
3" piece Ginger, unpeeled
1 large Onion, quartered and unpeeled
1/3 cup Nuoc Mam (fish sauce)
8 whole Star Anise
5 whole Cloves
3" Cinnamon Stick
1 teaspoon Fennel Seed
3 Bay Leaves
1 tablespoon Salt

Submerge the bones in hot tap water and bring to boil, then discard the water — this eliminates the "muddy" look that beef broth can have if this is not done. Many cooks roast the bones first. Add enough water to cover the bones by 4" (this will probably be about 2 gallons). Bring to a full boil and then lower the heat to a rapid simmer. Skim any additional scum that rises to the surface. Char the onion a little in a hot skillet with just a dash of oil. Cut the ginger into 3 pieces and add to the broth along with the onion halves, salt and fish sauce into the broth. Toast the star anise, cloves, fennel seeds and cinnamon stick in a dry skillet until you smell their aroma (2-3 minutes). Put the toasted spices in a bouquet garni (cheesecloth bag) and add along with the bay leaves. Simmer uncovered, skimming occasionally, for at least 4 hours — some cooks simmer, partially covered, for up to 12 hours. Remove the bouquet garni, onion, bay leaves and ginger from the pot and discard. Remove the ox tails and set aside, allowing the broth to continue simmering. When the ox tails are cool enough to handle, pull any meat from the bones and set aside, then return the bones to the broth. Continue simmering, uncovered, about 1 hour more. Adjust the salt and fish sauce if required.

Garnish

1 pound of hair-thin Rice Noodles
2 bunches Scallions, sliced very thin
½ cup fresh Cilantro Leaves (measure tightly packed)
½ cup Basil Leaves (measure tightly packed)
1½ cups Bean Sprouts
3 large Limes, cut into wedges
Several fresh small hot Chili Peppers
Sriracha Hot Pepper Sauce
Nuoc Mam (Fish Sauce)
Hoisin sauce
1 pound Beef Sirloin, slightly frozen, then sliced paper-thin across the grain

Soak the rice noodles in cold water for at least 20 minutes. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the drained rice noodles, cooking about 1 minute, then drain. Do not overcook, as they very quickly become gummy. Divide the noodles among 6 bowls. Return the broth to a full boil. Meanwhile, arrange the sliced scallions, cilantro, parsley, basil, bean sprouts, lime wedges, and chilis on a platter in separate piles. Arrange the slices of raw beef and pieces of cooked oxtail meat over the noodles in each bowl. Carefully ladle boiling broth over all; the raw beef should be submerged in the broth. Serve immediately, along with the platters of garnish. Serves 6 as a main course.