← Nouns Cooking · Vietnamese

Ingredients

• 2 kg beef bones (marrow and knuckle)
• 1 kg beef brisket, in one piece
• 5 l Water
• 2 Onion, halved, skin on
• 100 g Ginger, halved lengthways
• 6 Star anise
• 2 Cinnamon stick
• 4 whole cloves
• 1½ tbsp Coriander seeds
• 2 cardamom pods (black if you can find them)
• 1 tsp Fennel seeds (optional)
• 4 tbsp Fish sauce
• 1½ tbsp rock sugar or white sugar
• 1 tbsp salt, plus more to taste
• 600 g fresh flat rice noodles (or 400 g dried)
• 300 g sirloin or eye fillet, frozen for 30 min, then sliced paper-thin
• ½ Onion, very thinly sliced
• 4 Spring onion, thinly sliced
• 1 bunch Coriander (cilantro)
• 1 bunch Thai basil
• 200 g Bean sprouts
• 2 Lime, cut into wedges
• 2 Red chilli, sliced
• hoisin and sriracha, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Put the bones in a large pot, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Boil hard for 10 min, then drain and rinse the bones and pot well. This clears away the scum and keeps the broth clear.
2. Meanwhile, char the onion halves and ginger under a hot grill or directly over a gas flame, turning, for 10–15 min until blackened in patches. Toast the spices in a dry pan over medium heat for 2–3 minutes until fragrant, then tie them in a muslin bag or tea infuser.
3. Return the bones to the clean pot with the brisket, charred onion and ginger and 5 litres of water. Bring to a bare simmer (just a few bubbles), skimming off any foam. Simmer uncovered for 1½ hours.
4. Lift out the brisket, which should be tender, and plunge it into cold water so it stays moist; refrigerate. Add the spice bag and keep the broth barely simmering for 1½ hours more.
5. Strain the broth through a fine sieve and skim off some of the fat. Season with the fish sauce, sugar and salt: it should taste slightly too salty on its own, as the noodles will soak it up. Bring back to a rolling boil.
6. Cook or soak the noodles according to the packet and divide between big bowls. Top with slices of brisket, the raw steak and sliced onion.
7. Ladle the boiling broth straight over the raw beef so it cooks to pink. Scatter with spring onion and coriander and let everyone add herbs, sprouts, lime, chilli and sauces at the table.

Tips

• The broth must be at a full rolling boil when it hits the raw beef, or the slices won’t cook. If in doubt, dip the beef in the boiling pot for a few seconds first.
• The broth freezes well for up to 3 months; cool it quickly and freeze in portions.
• Most hoisin sauce contains wheat; check the label or skip it to keep the bowl gluten-free.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

RecipeTin Eats Vicky Pham Wok and Kin