I’m often asked where to go for a truly great bowl of phở in Washington; my answer is, invariably, the suburbs. Perhaps I ate at new-comer Phở 14 too early, before it had gotten its sea legs; perhaps I am too much of an originalist for the strong cinnamon notes at Saigon Bistro… Still, I maintain my position: when it comes to Vietnamese food, our nation’s capital is phởked.
For the friends and neighbors who would otherwise chain me to the hob with a scalding ladle, here it is at last: the enigmatic, oft-requested Lê-Nguyễn Family Phở Recipe [revised].
INGREDIENTS:
BROTH
• 6 lbs. cartilaginous beef (e.g. marrowbones, oxtail, and/or shanks)*
• 1 lb. beef brisket
• 3 onions (1 red, 1 yellow, 1 sweet white), peeled, halved, & charred
• 1 ginger root of generous length, skinned, halved, & charred
• 8 whole star anise
• 5 whole cloves
• 1 black cardamom pod, shelled (optional)
• 10 white peppercorns
• ¼ cup fish sauce
• 2 red Thai bird chilies
• 2 tbs. granulated sugar
• Hoisin sauce, to taste
• Sriracha chili sauce, to taste
NOODLES & GARNISHES
• 1 16 oz. package phở noodles, soaked, blanched, & drained
• ½ lb. beef sirloin, rare, sliced thinly across the grain
• ½ sweet white onion, sliced paper-thin
• ½ cup scallions, sliced into thin rings
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• Several sprigs fresh Thai basil
• 1 lime, cut into 6 wedges
*If you’ve no Asian mother to shame you, you may substitute 96 oz. of pre-packaged low-sodium beef broth + 32 oz. water rather than waste time skimming shank-fat and gelatin off a steaming pot of beef cartilage.
PREPARATION:
A. Beef Stock
1. To prepare a clear stock, you must first blanch the beef bones: throughly wash and dry the bones, place them in a stock-pot, cover with water, & bring to a rolling boil for 5 min.
Blanching the bones removes impurities that cloud the broth, notably surface proteins
that, under high-heat, denature (unravel) and coagulate into unsightly gray lumps.
2. Bring 6 quarts of cold water, the blanched bones, and the beef brisket to a gentle simmer in a large uncovered stock-pot. Skim the surface often to remove the scum, foam, and fat that accumulates. After 35-40 minutes, remove the well-done brisket; cool, slice, and set aside. Continue to sim & skim for 8+ hours, or as long as time and patience allow. Do not allow the pot to boil.
Bringing the cold water to simmer over low heat allows soluble proteins to coagulate slowly, settling into thick, fatty foams and aggregates along the surface of the broth and the sides of the pot. Boiling will over-excite the proteins,
whose quick-fire coagulation will produce a cloudy emulsion of tiny protein particles.
B. Broth
1. While the stock simmers, skin, halve, and slowly char the onions and ginger over an open flame until slightly blackened and fragrant (conversely, wrap them individually in tin-foil and place them on a hot grill); add your browned aromatics to the stock.
Here, we encounter the misunderstood chemical reaction known as “Maillard.” Though often mistaken for his reactive cousin, caramelization, Maillard is far more complex, and produces far more satisfying effects.
2. Crush the red bird chilies and sugar in a small bowl with a pestle or the back of a spoon. Add the fish sauce, stir carefully, and allow the mixture to settle. Remove the chilies
(be wary of recalcitrant seeds!) and add to the stock.
3. Toast the star anise and cloves in a dry pan over low heat for 30 seconds; place these, the cardamom seeds, and peppercorns into a tea strainer (or cheese cloth) and infuse the stock.
4. Regarding the Hoisin & Sriracha: Season to taste, adhering to either (i) the ratio 2:1, or (ii) the adage “less is more.” These accompaniments are usually portioned by each diner, but when left to their own devices, diners often over season the broth. Having witnessed a blight of indiscriminate seasoning, I have taken a totalitarian approach to the apportionment.
C. Assembly & Garnishes
1. To serve, place cooked noodles in preheated bowls. If the noodles are not hot, reheat them in a microwave or dip them briefly in boiling water to prevent them from cooling down the soup.
2. Place a few slices of the raw thin-sliced sirloin on the noodles. Bring the broth to a rolling boil; once steaming, ladle about 2 to 3 cups into each bowl. The hot broth will cook the raw beef through.
3. Serve immediately, inviting guests to garnish with onions, scallion, cilantro, herbs, thai chilies, and lime.
