Hanoi Beef and Rice Noodle Soup (Pho Bo)

Traditionally a northern Vietnamese breakfast specialty, pho bo is now eaten through-out the country at any time of day. Charring the meat, ginger, and shallots gives the broth its complexity. Beef oxtail, although bony and tough, is very flavorful, so it's good for making broth. Partially freeze eye-of-round roast to make it easier to slice. You can also use regular sweet basil in place of Thai basil.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• Broth:
• 3  pounds  beef oxtail
• 3/4  cup  thinly sliced fresh ginger (about 3 ounces)
• 2/3  cup  coarsely chopped shallots (about 3 medium shallots)
• 5  quarts water
• 4  cups  coarsely chopped daikon radish (about 1 pound)
• 2  tablespoons  sugar
• 3  tablespoons  Thai fish sauce (such as Three Crabs)
• 1  teaspoon  white peppercorns
• 5  whole cloves
• 2  star anise
• 1  large yellow onion, peeled and quartered
• 1  cinnamon stick
• 
  Remaining ingredients:
• 2  cups  vertically sliced onion
• 12  ounces  wide rice stick noodles (banh pho)
• 2  cups  fresh bean sprouts
• 12  ounces  eye-of-round roast, trimmed and cut into 1/16-inch slices
• 2  cups  cilantro leaves
• 1  cup  Thai basil leaves
• 4  red Thai chiles, seeded and thinly sliced
• 8  lime wedges
• 1  tablespoon  hoisin sauce (optional)

Preparation

To prepare broth, heat a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add oxtail, ginger, and shallots; sauté 8 minutes or until ginger and shallots are slightly charred. Add water and next 8 ingredients (through cinnamon stick); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 4 hours. Strain broth through a sieve into a large bowl; discard solids. Return broth to pan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook until reduced to 10 cups (about 30 minutes). Skim fat from surface; discard fat. Keep warm.

To prepare remaining ingredients, add sliced onion to broth. Place noodles in a large bowl, and cover with boiling water. Let stand 20 minutes. Drain. Place 1/3 cup bean sprouts in each of 6 soup bowls. Top each serving with 1 1/3 cup noodles and 2 ounces eye-of-round. Carefully ladle 1 2/3 cups boiling broth over each serving (boiling broth will cook the meat). Serve with cilantro, basil, chiles, limes, and hoisin, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

404 (19% from fat)

Fat:

8.5g (sat 3.3g,mono 3.7g,poly 0.5g)

Protein:

23.4g

Carbohydrate:

58g

Fiber:

3.5g

Cholesterol:

57mg

Iron:

3.3mg

Sodium:

751mg

Calcium:

69mg