Weeknight Beef Pho (Pho Bo)

⏱ 60 min · Serves 4

A fragrant, deeply savoury bowl of charred ginger and toasted spice broth, slippery rice noodles and paper-thin beef that cooks in seconds. It tastes like it simmered all day, but a good beef stock and a 45-minute infusion get you there before dinner.

Per serving: 615 kcal · 34.0g protein · 97.0g carbs · 9.0g fat

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, halved
• 1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger, halved lengthways
• 2 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 cloves
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1.8 litres good beef stock
• 2 tbsp fish sauce, plus more to taste
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar or palm sugar
• 1 tsp salt, to taste
• 400 g dried flat rice noodles (banh pho)
• 350 g beef sirloin or rump, very well chilled
• 150 g beansprouts
• 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 1 small bunch Thai basil
• 1 small bunch coriander
• 1 red chilli, sliced
• 2 limes, cut into wedges
• Hoisin sauce and sriracha, to serve

Method

1. Put the onion and ginger cut-side down in a dry heavy pan over high heat (or under a hot grill) and char for 6-8 minutes until blackened in patches. Set aside.
2. In the same dry pan, toast the star anise, cinnamon, cloves, coriander and fennel seeds for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Tip into a tea infuser or small muslin bag.
3. Pour the beef stock into a large pot, add the charred onion and ginger and the spice bundle. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, for 40 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, wrap the beef tightly and put it in the freezer for 20 minutes, then slice it as thinly as you possibly can against the grain. Keep chilled.
5. Soak or cook the rice noodles according to the packet, drain and rinse briefly in cold water to stop them clumping. Divide between four deep bowls.
6. Fish out the onion, ginger and spice bundle from the broth. Season with the fish sauce, sugar and salt, tasting until it is savoury, faintly sweet and rounded. Bring it back to a hard, rolling boil.
7. Lay the raw beef slices over the noodles, then ladle the boiling broth straight over the meat so it poaches in the bowl.
8. Top with beansprouts, spring onions, herbs and chilli. Serve with lime wedges, hoisin and sriracha on the side.