Vietnamese-Style Beef Pho

★ 4.6 · Advanced

An aromatic broth infused with charred ginger, onion, and warm spices forms the base of this beginner-friendly take on pho, ladled over rice noodles with thin-sliced beef and fresh herbs.

25 minPrep Time

105 minCook Time

130 minTotal Time

6 servings (about 3.5 quarts)Yield

Why You'll Love This

Aromatic homemade broth with real depth
Two textures of beef in one bowl
Customizable with fresh herbs and lime at the table

Ingredients

1large yellow onion, halved
1 (4-inch) piecefresh ginger, halved lengthwise
3 poundsbeef marrow or knuckle bones
1 poundbeef chuck, cut into large chunks
10 cupswater, plus more as needed
1cinnamon stick
3whole star anise
3whole cloves
1 tablespooncoriander seeds
0.25 cupfish sauce, plus more to taste
2 tablespoonssugar
1.5 teaspoonssalt, plus more to taste
14 ouncesdried flat rice noodles
0.5 poundraw beef sirloin, thinly sliced against the grain
1 cupbean sprouts, fresh basil leaves, sliced jalapeno, and lime wedges, for serving

Nutrition (estimated per serving)

420Calories

28gProtein

10gFat

54gCarbs

2gFiber

980mgSodium

Nutrition information is an estimate calculated from the ingredients listed and will vary based on the specific products used. It is not a substitute for advice from a nutrition professional.

Method

Char the onion and ginger: place them cut-side down under a broiler on high, or directly over a gas flame with tongs, for 4 to 5 minutes, until blackened in spots and fragrant. Let cool, then rinse off any loose char under water.
In a large 8-quart stockpot, add the beef bones and chuck and cover with cold water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil hard for 5 minutes to release impurities.
Drain the pot and rinse the bones and beef under cold water to remove any scum, then rinse out the pot as well - this step is key to a clear, clean-tasting broth.
Return the bones and beef chuck to the pot with the 10 cups of fresh water, the charred onion and ginger, cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves, and coriander seeds.
Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately reduce the heat to low so the broth is at the gentlest simmer possible, with just an occasional bubble - a hard boil will make the broth cloudy.
Simmer uncovered for 1.5 hours, skimming any foam or fat off the surface every 20 minutes or so with a spoon.
Remove the beef chuck once it is fork-tender, at around 1 hour, and set aside to cool, then slice thinly once cool enough to handle; return the bones to continue simmering.
After 1.5 hours total, strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean pot, discarding the solids.
Stir the fish sauce, sugar, and salt into the strained broth and taste - it should taste well seasoned and savory; adjust with more fish sauce or salt as needed.
Keep the broth at a low simmer while you prepare the noodles: cook the dried rice noodles according to the package directions, usually a brief soak in hot water, until tender but still slightly chewy, then drain.
Divide the cooked noodles among bowls and top with the sliced cooked beef chuck and the thin raw sirloin slices - the hot broth will finish cooking the raw slices.
Ladle the hot broth over each bowl, making sure it is steaming hot so it cooks the raw beef slices, which should turn from red to gray-brown within seconds.
Serve immediately with bean sprouts, basil, jalapeno, and lime wedges on the side for each person to add as they like.

Tips

Blanching and rinsing the bones before the real simmer removes impurities that would otherwise cloud the broth, so do not skip that step even though it takes extra time.
Slice the raw sirloin as thin as possible, against the grain - the hot broth needs to cook it through in the bowl, so thicker slices will stay underdone.