Vietnamese Pho (Beef Noodle)

One of my favourite soup noodles is Vietnamese Pho, especially on cold day. The clear beef broth and slippery rice noodles topped with beef balls and thinly sliced beef garnished with crunchy bean sprouts and thai basil definitely hits the spot to warm me up. Sydney has a Vietnamese precinct in Cabramatta which is too far from where I live. There are other Vietnamese enclaves too around Homebush and Flemington, about 30 minutes from my home. Too far for me to head to when I crave for a bowl of pho. The local Vietnamese is alright but it's always busy and crowded. What's a girl to do? Make my own.

Lorraine from NQN shared her recipe a few weeks ago. It didn't seem too difficult, time consuming maybe to make the broth but it is worth it. I left the bones to simmer on low heat to make the stock for about 3 hours. Then, I removed the bones, sieved the stock several times using a muslin cloth and two sieves to get a clear broth. After which, I added 2 star anise, Vietnamese cardamon (3 pods, bruised), ginger and cassia bark and left it to boil for another hour. The fragrance from the stock was heavenly.

In a bowl, add the rice noodles (thin ones), beef balls and sliced beef and white onions. Ladle the soup over the beef - the hot soup helps to cook the raw beef. Top with bean sprouts and basil. Ta da....