email this pageAccording to Chef Mai Pham, author of Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table, pho originated in Hanoi after the French occupation of Vietnam in the late-1800s. Historians note its similarities to pot-au-feu, a French classic with meat and vegetables cooked in water or consommé. Some believe the word pho (pronounced “fuh”) comes from feu, the French word for “fire.”
Others point to the influence of the Chinese, neighbors to the north, who favored ingredients such as rice noodles, ginger and star anise.
In time, of course, the Vietnamese embraced pho as their own. They added splashes of fish sauce to the simmering broth, and some cooks incorporated mung bean sprouts and aromatic basil. They also offered garnishes and condiments. This is the pho Vietnamese immigrants introduced to Americans in the 1980s and ’90s.
The recipe includes a lot of ingredients, but it can be made in stages. While the broth bubbles gently on the stove, work on other elements. An hour or so later, top servings of cooked noodles with slices of beef, and ladle on generous amounts of steamy broth. With chopsticks in one hand and soup spoons in the other, slurp away.
Pho (Beef Noodle Soup)
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The hot broth ladled over the noodles and raw beef cooks the beef, which is why its important to cut it as thinly as possible. Eat the noodles and beef with chopsticks, and savor the broth with a spoon.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, quartered lengthwise
1 (3-inch) piece of ginger, peeled and cut
in half lengthwise
3 quarts lower-sodium chicken broth
1 to 1½ pounds boneless beef chuck, sliced
crosswise into 1-inch strips
1 cinnamon stick
3 whole cloves
3 whole star anise
Noodles and Beef:
1 pound dried rice stick noodles, ¼-inch wide, usually labeled banh pho
¼ cup fish sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ pound boneless beef rib-eye, strip or flank steak, slightly frozen, sliced paper-thin across the grain and cut in bite-size pieces
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 pound mung bean sprouts, tails trimmed, rinsed
½ bunch fresh cilantro
½ bunch fresh basil
2 limes, cut into wedges
2. To prepare noodles, soak noodles in warm water until pliable, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain well.
3. After broth has simmered 1 hour, remove from heat. Remove cooked beef, and save for another use. Strain broth into another large stockpot, discarding onions, ginger and whole spices. Stir in fish sauce, sugar and salt. Just before serving, bring back to a full boil.
4. Arrange yellow onion, green onion, bean sprouts, cilantro, basil and lime wedges on a small platter.
5. To cook noodles, bring a large pot of water to a full boil. Place noodles, one or two servings at a time, into a sieve and lower into boiling water. Cook 20 to 30 seconds. Drain well and transfer to large individual bowls. Repeat until all noodles are done.
6. Top each bowl of noodles with a few slices of steak. Ladle in 2 cups of hot broth. The heat should cook the meat instantly. Garnish with yellow onion, green onion, bean sprouts, cilantro, basil and lime wedges. Serves 6.
Recipe by Christina Eng, Relish World Flavors," March 2008.
Find a suggestion of wine to serve with this recipe at: www.relishmag.com/wine/25843.html
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