When I lived in New York, my apartment was only a three-block walk away from my go-to Vietnamese restaurant. One of the things I loved about living near there was that I could satisfy my late night hunger with a bowl of beef pho (a.k.a. phở bò) whenever I wanted! I love being able to tailor pho to my liking with different garnishes and condiments. Sometimes I feel a little more lime-y, sometimes I want it extra spicy, and sometimes I feel extra noodle-y.
Now that I’m in Minnesota, I don’t always have the convenience to grab pho whenever I want since the nearest pho place is miles away. I’ve tried making pho myself from scratch several times but it’s tricky. The traditional method requires a lot of time since you often need to parboil bones for the broth beforehand; but a time saving short-cut is possible! Concentrating store-bought broth with whole spices creates an un-pho-gettable flavor. (Puns!) I’m calling this dish Midnight Phở Bò because it’s so quick and easy you can even make it in the middle of the night.
Midnight Phở Bò
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 medium yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced (divided)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
8 cups Progresso beef broth
1 piece (3 1/2 inches) fresh gingerroot, peeled, thinly sliced
4 whole cloves
5 star anise
1 piece (3 inches) cinnamon stick
1 cup water
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 pound sirloin steak, cut across grain into thin slices
1 package (7 ounces) dried rice sticks (often called banh pho)
Garnishes:
Sliced green onions
Chopped fresh cilantro
Fresh Thai basil leaves
Sliced jalapeno peppers
Lime wedges
Condiment options:
Hoisin sauce
Sriracha
Sambal oelek chili sauce
Fish sauce
Chili oil
Soy sauce
Directions
In a 3-quart saucepan, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add one of the sliced onions and the sugar; cook 7 to 8 minutes until onions are softened and browned, stirring frequently. Add beef broth, ginger, cloves, star anise and cinnamon stick to pan. Bring to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes to concentrate flavors. Strain broth through a fine mesh strainer into a 4-quart Dutch oven; discard solids.
Add water, fish sauce and remaining sliced onion. Bring to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Add sliced steak; simmer, uncovered, 5 to 6 minutes or until the beef is no longer pink.
Meanwhile, cook and drain noodles as directed on package. Rinse with cold water; drain. Divide noodles among serving bowls; ladle soup mixture over noodles. Top with desired fresh garnishes and condiments.
Prep Time: 15 Minutes | Total Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes | Servings: 6
Some pho-nomenal Vietnamese recipes I want to try:
- Chicken Pho by Momofuku for Two
- Faux Pho by From Away
- Easy Vegan Pho by The Sweet Life
- Vegetarian Pho by Running with Tweezers
The post Recipes: Quick and Easy Pho (a.k.a. Midnight Phở Bò) appeared first on Tasteseekers Kitchen.