Pho Bo
Recipe adapted from Chef Hung at the Sheraton Nga Trang
For soup
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2kg/4.4lbs beef shin bones
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5 litres/10pints water
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4 eschallots
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1/2 onion, charred (to help bring out the flavour)
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50-60g/2ozs ginger, peeled
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1 fat cassia stick (Vietnamese cassia looks like tree bark)
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3 pods of Vietnamese cardamom, crushed lightly so that they are opened (quite different from regular cardamom)
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4 star anise
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Chicken powder, salt, sugar and fish sauce to taste
For noodles
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300g/10.6ozs beef tenderloin
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500g/1.1lbs fresh rice noodles
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Thai purple basil
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Mint
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Eryngo (Vietnamese or French coriander, different from other coriander, use coriander if you cannot find this)
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1 x lime, quartered
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1 large red chilli, sliced
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Green onions
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Some of the soft meat from the beef shin
Buyer's tip: I have only managed to find eryngo and Vietnamese cinnamon in Cabramatta but have found the Vietnamese cardamom at large Asian grocery stores in Chinatown (the one in World Square has it) in the spice section.
Step 1 - Put a kettleful of water on to boil and pour it over the beef shins to get rid of any bones and dirt. In a very large pot (I used my largest pot that could fit 10 litres), put 5 litres of water on to boil. Once boiling, add the bones and simmer for 3 hours. Every hour or so skim the fat from the top and remove the scum using a slotted spoon. There will be quite a lot of fat coming from the shins from the marrow etc.
2.After three hours, add the eschallots, onion, ginger, cinnamon, Vietnamese cardamom and star anise and simmer for two and a half hours. I asked Chef Hung if I should add these at the beginning but he recommended against it as he said that it would be too strong. When this is done, do a final skim for fat and scum and strain the soup. Remove some of the meat from the shin bones and keep the broth hot.
Step 3 - Slice the beef tenderloin very thinly, as thin as possible as you want the hot soup to cook it. It is easiest to do this when it is frozen or partially frozen. Place a handful of fresh rice noodles and the thinly sliced beef tenderloin in a bowl. Add a little of the meat from the beef shin. Ladle over with the hot soup which will cook the raw beef and change it from pink to grey. Serve with fresh Thai basil, mint, eryngo, lime, chilli and bean sprouts and add these as you feel like.