Phở

A Vietnamese soup dish consisting of beef broth, rice noodles, herbs, and beef. Pho is a popular food with Vietnamese people.  At the withdrawal of Vietnam, Vietnamese people were migrated to the Gulf Coast and lived in the swamps b/c the climate and surroundings were familiar to them.  They lead the shrimping industry in the Gulf.  There are several Vietnamese restaurants near Biloxi.  This soup is pronounced “Fu”.  My favorite restaurant was named What the Pho.  This dish takes a long time to make.

Ingredients (Serves two)

1 TBSP ginger cut into strips with skin on
Also add galanga if available
½ yellow onion
Beef of your choosing ½ pound (I used brisket)
Beef ribs, meat with two or three bones
5 cups of water
1 scallions (cut in half)
1 tsp. fish sauce
1 carrot skinned
Several bok choy leaves
2 Shitake mushrooms (If dried hydrate)
1 TBSP sugar
Handful cilantro on stems

Herbs
2 star anise
1 tsp. cloves
½ cinnamon stick
4 cardamon pods
½ tsp. fennel seeds
½ tsp. coriander seeds

Other
Salt
Dried Pho noodles

Garnish
1 chopped scallion
Bean sprouts
Lime Wedge

Place the meat and water in a stock pot.  Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes.  Remove meat and run the beef stock through a strainer to remove the foam.  Clean the pot.  Return the beef and strained broth.  Add the onion, ginger, galanga, scallion cut in half and carrot.  Bring to a boil and then simmer 40 minutes.  Skim off any foam. Slice the carrot into large matchsticks.

Remove all and set aside.  Strain the broth again and clean the pot.  In a separate pan roast the herbs until fragrant.  Return the beef to the pot and the broth.  Place the herbs in cheese cloth and tie it with string to make a closed sack of herbs.  Place the sack in the soup.  Also add a handful of cilantro with stems and leaves.  Simmer the entire pot (200 degrees) for 3 hours. 

Add salt and strain the broth once more.  Clean the pot.  Return the broth only and cook on low to keep hot before serving.  Slice the meat, place the bok choy, mushrooms in the broth to cook a little and remove. 

In a separate pot boil water and cook the noodle as directed. 

Plate the noodles in a bowl, add the garnish, meat, carrots, mushroom, and ladle in the hot broth and serve.

As of 4/4/22