Little Pho Recipe

Char the onion and ginger: place the halved yellow onion (use the 0.5 cup equivalent) and sliced ginger on a hot dry skillet over medium-high heat or directly over a gas flame until edges are blackened and fragrant, about 5–7 minutes, turning occasionally.

Toast the whole spices: in the same skillet, toast star anise, cloves, and the cinnamon stick over medium heat for 1–2 minutes until aromatic, shaking the pan to avoid burning.

Combine and simmer: in a small saucepan combine 4 cups beef or chicken stock and 1 cup water. Add the charred onion, ginger, toasted spices, 1.5 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tsp brown sugar, and 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.

Simmer lightly for flavor: reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 12–15 minutes to allow the spices and aromatics to infuse. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional fish sauce or salt if needed.

Strain the broth: remove from heat and strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot or bowl, discarding solids. Keep the broth hot over the lowest heat setting while finishing the rest of the dish.

Prepare the noodles: bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the 2 oz dried rice vermicelli and cook according to package instructions (typically 3–4 minutes) until tender but not mushy. Stir gently to separate. Drain and rinse briefly under cold water to stop cooking, then drain well.

Portion garnishes: arrange 0.25 cup bean sprouts, 6 basil leaves, 1 tbsp chopped cilantro (if using), 2 lime wedges, sliced jalapeño, and 1 tbsp scallions on a small plate for serving so diners can add to taste.

Sauces: place 1 tsp hoisin and 0.5 tsp sriracha on the garnish plate or in small ramekins for finishing.

Thinly slice elk: if not already thin, partially freeze the elk for 20–30 minutes to firm, then slice across the grain as thinly as possible so that 2 oz yields thin medallions/slices suitable for quickly cooking in hot broth.

Season elk: lightly toss the thin elk slices with 1/4 tsp kosher salt, 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper, and 1 tsp neutral oil to coat. This prevents sticking and helps flavor.

Warm and finish bowls: divide the cooked noodles between two small bowls (this recipe makes a 'little' pho; use one bowl if you want a single serving size). Ladle the hot strained broth over the noodles to warm them through.

Cook elk in broth: arrange the seasoned elk medallions on top of the hot noodles/broth. The broth should be just off a rolling boil so the thin elk slices will cook quickly. Let sit 30–60 seconds if slices are very thin (up to 2 minutes for slightly thicker slices) until the meat turns opaque and is cooked to medium-rare/medium as preferred.

Garnish and serve: top with bean sprouts, basil, cilantro, scallions and sliced chili. Squeeze lime over the bowl and add hoisin or sriracha as desired. Serve immediately while broth is very hot.