Pho Bo (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)

Ingredients

Stock
1kg beef bones
4 stalks lemongrass
4 star anise
3 onions, keep whole
50g ginger, bruised
5cm cinnamon stick
6 cloves
2 stalks leek, sliced into 5-6 cm lengths
150g carrot, cut into chunks
1½ tsp white peppercorns
1½ tsp black peppercorns
2 litres water
3-4 tbsp fish sauce or to taste
15g rock sugar

Ingredients (A)
250g beef tenderloin, thinly sliced
300g Vietnamese flat rice noodles
Some beansprouts, tailed
Several lime wedges
½ cup fresh basil leaves
½ cup fresh coriander leaves
1-2 chillies, seeded and sliced
Chopped spring onion

Method

To prepare the stock: Blanch the beef bones briefly in boiling hot water. Rinse and place in a stock pot with the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil and skim off surface scum from the stock. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1½-2 hours. Skim off any scum that appears, then strain the stock through a fine sieve. Put the stock over a very low heat to keep it warm.

To serve: In another pot, bring water to a boil and add the dried noodles. Cook until noodles are tender but not mushy. Beansprouts can be scalded briefly or, if preferred, kept crunchy. Put a little of the prepared noodles in each serving bowl and add a few slices of beef tenderloin. Pour the hot soup stock over. Put some beansprouts, basil leaves, coriander leaves and a slice of lime on a separate plate. Serve immediately with chillies and spring onion.

From Kuali.com