Vietnamese Beef Pho (Pho Bo)

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title: "Vietnamese Beef Pho (Pho Bo)" description: "Deeply aromatic beef bone broth with rice noodles, tender brisket, and a fresh herb platter — Vietnam's national dish." date: "2026-05-01" dateModified: "2026-05-01" author: "NoodleDex Kitchen" tags: ["pho", "vietnamese", "beef", "soup"] noodleId: "pho" difficulty: "hard" cookTime: 180 prepTime: 30 servings: 6 image: "/images/recipes/pho-bo.jpg" ingredients:

• "3 lbs beef marrow bones"
• "1 lb beef brisket"
• "1 lb flat rice noodles (banh pho)"
• "1 large onion, halved"
• "3-inch piece fresh ginger, halved"
• "3 whole star anise"
• "2 cinnamon sticks"
• "4 whole cloves"
• "1 tbsp fish sauce"
• "Salt to taste"
• "Bean sprouts, Thai basil, lime, jalapeño to serve"
• "Hoisin sauce and sriracha to serve" instructions:
• "Char onion and ginger directly over a gas flame or under a broiler until blackened. Rinse."
• "Blanch bones in boiling water 10 minutes. Drain and rinse thoroughly."
• "Toast spices (star anise, cinnamon, cloves) in a dry pan 1-2 minutes until fragrant."
• "Combine bones, brisket, onion, ginger, and toasted spices in a large pot. Cover with 4 quarts cold water."
• "Bring to a boil, skimming foam. Reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook 2.5-3 hours."
• "Remove brisket when tender (about 2 hours). Slice thin. Continue simmering bones."
• "Strain broth. Season with fish sauce and salt."
• "Cook rice noodles per package directions. Drain."
• "Assemble: divide noodles into bowls. Top with sliced brisket. Ladle boiling hot broth over."
• "Serve with herb platter: bean sprouts, Thai basil, lime wedges, jalapeño slices, hoisin, sriracha."

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Ingredients

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Pho is a meditation in patience — the broth demands time.

• 3 lbs beef marrow bones, 1 lb brisket
• Flat rice noodles (banh pho)
• Charred onion, ginger, star anise, cinnamon, cloves
• Fish sauce, salt
• Fresh herb platter for serving

Instructions

1. Char onion and ginger. Blanch bones. Toast spices.
2. Combine everything in large pot with 4 quarts water.
3. Simmer 3 hours, skimming occasionally. Remove brisket at 2 hours.
4. Strain and season broth with fish sauce.
5. Cook noodles. Assemble bowls with noodles, brisket, and boiling broth.
6. Serve with full herb platter.

Tips & Variations

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet. Charring the onion and ginger is non-negotiable — it adds a subtle smoky sweetness that defines authentic pho broth.

Pho ga (chicken pho): Substitute a whole chicken for the beef bones. Simmer only 1 hour.

Serving Suggestions

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. The herb platter is not optional — it's half the dish. Each diner customizes their bowl with bean sprouts, basil, lime, and chilies to taste.