The Joly Life Pho Recipe!

So my friend Amber from #amberismz brought to my attention a gluten free and delicious noodle dish called Pho. Its pronounced Fuh.  I had my first taste of it at a resturant here in Tulsa called Pho Nhi.  Let me tell you that the bowls are huge. But i had to know how to make this and so I did my research and made my own and it was a complete success. So now I will share my dish with you as I was asked.  The best broth is made using oxtail, and knuckle bones. You cook it for at least 6 hours to get the flavor from the bones. You want to skim any fat off the surface after the initial cooking.  You want to have access to the following spices. Spice pack ones are marked SP.

1. Star Anise (2 pods) (SP)
2. Cinnamon (1 stick) (SP)
3. Green Onions (1 TBSP chopped)
4. Cardamom (1 pod) (SP)
5. Coriander (1 TBSP) (SP)
6. Fresh Ginger (5 good sized slices) (SP) or can be left loose and take out later.
7. Salt (1 tsp)
8. Pepper (1 tsp)
9. Cilantro (1/2 cup)
10. Fennel (1 1/2 TBSP) (SP)
11. Thai Basil (One large bunch) (not for the broth cooking but afterwards)
12. Mint - (Again optional for after Pho is served)
13. Cloves (3 whole cloves) (SP)

These ingredients do not stay in the broth the entire time so it is best if you have a leaf tea steeper or you can use cheesecloth or even a coffee filter to hold the dried spices in a packet to get the flavor during the broth cooking.

You will also need other ingredients

1. 3-6 lbs beef bones
2. 1-2 lbs oxtail
3. 1-2 onions cut in half UNpeeled
4. 4 quarts of water
5. 2 1/2 TBSP fish sauce
6. 1 1/5 Cups Bean sprouts (We like mung bean ones)
7. 1-2 limes cut into wedges
8. Optional Hoisin Sauce
9. Optional Sriracha Sauce
10. 1 pk 8 oz Rice Vermicelli or Mei Fun Noodles.
11. 1 lb thin sliced beef of your choosing (optional)
12. Fish Balls (optional)
13. Shrimp (optional)

Ok so here we go. This disk does take a bit of preparation before the actual combination of things to make the broth but let me tell you the wait is totally worth it. So lets begin.

PREP:

Cut onions in half. Do not peel.  Place onions ginger, and the beef bones in an oven at 425 Degrees F.

The beef needs to remain in the oven for at least an hour til browned. The onions and ginger only take about 45 mins. You want the ginger golden and onions blackened so keep an eye on them.

Once the beef and ginger and onions are ready, you can begin the broth.

Cooking and straining.

In a 5 qt or larger pot put the 4 quarts of water on. Add your bones, oxtail, onions and your spice pack. add the salt and pepper as well. Add the fish sauce also. See above they are marked.  Boil for 6 - 10 hours. I have heard that at 6 hours you have the most flavor from the bones but you might want more from the spice packet. Taste and see what you desire.

Once broth has finished you can use a fine strainer to pull any fat or grey bits (called scum) from the top. It is from the fatty parts of the bones and oxtail.  The clearer the broth the better the flavor in the end. Discard the spice pack, and you can also discard the bones and oxtail.  My dogs usually get the bones.

Once your broth is ready you need to get things rolling.  Add your rice vermicelli. add the cilantro and green onions into the broth.  Set a dish for each place setting or make a middle dish with the thai basil, lime wedges, and lots of bean sprouts, mint and you can add other types of herbs as well. Some have added parsley, cilantro, or thyme also to give a nice fresh bite of flavor to the dish.  The noodles generally cook in under a minute. At this time you can add the thin sliced beef to the broth and it will cook the meat very fast. Serve immediately and enjoy. Add herbs, beans, or either sauce of your choosing to spice it up a bit.  You can also get fish balls to cook with this as well as a option. Some also add shrimp into the dish. All these generally are added at the very end right before serving.

This amount easily serves my family of 5 and sometimes up to 7.  The broth is very hearty. 

In the picture below we used the recipe above but added sugar snap peas, brocolli and white onions to the broth before serving. My kids are huge fans of these. You can always add your own items to the dish. Enjoy!

Tiffany