quote:Originally posted by wheregreggeats.com quote:Originally posted by rebeltruce
I always have a bottle on hand, no way to make my famous Pho without it!
Mind sharing your recipe for FAMOUS PHO ???
Please.
Greg,
Didn't get a chance to post this last night, I'm on a stone age dial up connection at home, and was having problems getting a good connection. I couldn't even open the Roadfood Hompage! Anyway here's the recipe, it was given to me by a Vietnamese friend. He was actually a cook before coming to this country, and still cooks as a hobby. His curry chicken is fantastic, but he won't give that recipe up!!...LOL
Pho
4lbs Oxtails
2- Slices of beef shank (these are the 1 inch thick slices you can get in most ethinic markets, be sure they have the big marrow bone in the middle)
1- 3 inch piece of unpeeled ginger
1- Large onion unpeeled and cut in half
1/3 cup of Fish Sauce (taste once broth is cooked, I always add a bit more and so does he)
9- Star Anise
5- whole cloves
1- 3 inch cinnamon stick
1 1/2 teaspoon of fennel seeds
3 fresh bay leaves (I use dried and mine always turns out great)
1- tablespoon of salt (I use Kosher salt)
Broth:
Put the oxtails and the beef shank slices in a large pot, cover them with water and bring to a boil. Boil them for about 1 minute, drain them and rinse the meats with cool water. (I sometimes soak the oxtails in salted water for an hour or so before this step. Helps to eliminate even more of the scum that will form)
Wipe the pot clean, and put the meats back into the pot. Cover the meats by 4 inches of water, you should use just over a gallon and a half. Bring to a full boil again, reduce heat to a fast simmer, if there is scum skim it it.
Take the ginger and the onion and put them under the broiler, burn them, you want a nice char on all sides. Takes about 15 to 20 minutes depending on your broiler. Let them cool, and them rinse them under the faucet to remove most of the char. Chop the ginger into a couple pieces and through the ginger and the onion halves into the pot along with the Fish Sauce and 1 tablespoon of salt.
Put the cloves, star anise, and cinnamon stick into a dry saute pan over medium heat, and toast them. (when I can smell them and they've slightly darkened they are done) Add them to the pot along with the fennel seeds (I've tried to toast the fennel seeds and they pop and I usually loose about half of them so I don't toast them anymore)and the bay leaves.
Now my friend ties the spices up in a nice little cheescloth bundle, I don't, because I strain the broth anyway.
Reduce the heat to a low simmer and let the whole thing go for about four hours or so uncovered. You ultimately end up with about 3 quarts or so. Remove the spices and the meats, if you tied the spices up in a bundle let the pot continue to simmer while the meats cool. If not then strain the broth and return it to the pot and continue simmering while the meats cool.
When the meats have cooled pull the meat from the bones. Set the meat aside and put the bones back into the broth, simmer for about another hour or until the broth is nice and rich, it will seem like it is ever so slightly thickened. At this point remove the broth from the heat, add the meats, let the whole thing cool and refridgerate over night.
Now we are ready to de-fat and reheat the broth. Once the broth has come up to a simmer again taste it and add additional Fish Sauce if it needs it. To me it always does!
Veggies and Stuff:
1lb of rice noodles (I use the thin ones, but the thick ones are fine to)
2- Bunches of green onions (sliced on the bias very thinly)
1- Bunch of cilantro (he chops his, I like the whole leaves)
1- Bunch of parsley (same as the cilantro)
1- bunch of basil whole leaves
2 or 3 limes cut into wedges
3 or 4 jalapenos thinly sliced cross wise
Bean Sprouts (I buy these buy the 2 pound bag at my local Asian market)
1lb Beef filet very thinly sliced cross wise (I normally buy a couple filet mignon steaks)
You can also add what ever meats you'd like, I normally clean and cook a bit of Tripe, which I thinly slice and add when I reheat the broth. But it really isn't a must.
Sriracha Sauce (red chili sauce) Plum or Hoisin Sauce
Place the lime wedges, herbs, and chili's in their own little piles on a platter of plate.
In another pot bring about a gallon of water to the boil, toss your rice noodles into the boiling water and remove them from the heat. let them sit stirring 4 or 5 times for about 5-8 minutes. Keep your eye on the noodles, they will cook/soften up in no time. Stirring is very important cuz they'll stick together. Once they are soft rinse them thouroughly under cold running water.
Now we are ready to assemble.
For each portion you'll need a very large soup bowl. Rinse then under hot water so the bowls are warm.
Bring the broth to a good boil.
This should serve about four people, so divide the noodles between four bowls. Put a serving of Oxtail, shank meat and sliced raw filet on top of the noodles. Now cover the noodles and meats with broth.
Garnish with the herbs, chili's, sprouts, green onions, lime wedges...and sauces.
ENJOY!
I hope I haven't left anything out, I've re-read this post two or three times. I ende up having to go by mostly memory anyway since I wasn't able to post this from home. I did read the recipe several times last night and once again this morning before coming into the office so I believe I've covered everything.....
Let me know if you decide to give it a try, it rivals any Pho I've ever eatin in any Pho joint, and trust me when I say I've eaten allot of Pho! There are 100's of variations made 100 different ways, when I order Pho out I go for the 'special', I love all of the exotic meats....soft tendon, trip, fatty brisket, Vietnamese meatballs....you name it I love it all.
