Round Steak Pho Recipe

Char onion and ginger

Place the halved onion (cut side down) and halved ginger on a baking sheet or directly on a gas burner. Char until well browned and slightly blackened, about 8–12 minutes in a broiler or 4–6 minutes per side over a gas flame. Remove and set aside. Rinse briefly under water to remove loose ash if desired.

Toast whole spices

In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast coriander seeds, cardamom pods, cloves, black peppercorns, star anise, and cinnamon stick for 2–4 minutes, shaking the pan, until fragrant and slightly darker. Transfer the spices to a small piece of cheesecloth or a spice bag and tie securely.

Place the round steak (1 kg) into a large stockpot and cover with 6 liters of cold water. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat and skim any scum that rises to the surface for the first 10–15 minutes to keep the broth clear. Reduce heat to low once skimmed.

Add the charred onion, charred ginger, the spice bag, rock sugar, 2 tsp sea salt, and 2 tbsp beef bouillon (if using) to the pot. Simmer gently, uncovered or partially covered, for 1 hour to extract flavor from the round steak. Maintain a bare simmer — small bubbles with occasional movement.

After 1 hour, remove the round steak used for making the broth. Set the meat aside to cool slightly, then thinly slice some for later use as cooked beef if you want mixed textures; reserve the rest for shredding or slicing for other uses. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into another pot to remove solids and spices. Return the clear broth to the cleaned pot.

Taste the broth and add fish sauce (4 tbsp) and additional salt to balance — typically 1–2 tsp more if needed. Simmer gently an additional 10–15 minutes to blend flavors. Keep broth hot but not vigorously boiling.

Soak or cook the dried rice noodles according to package instructions: usually soak in warm water 20–30 minutes until pliable, then blanch in boiling water 10–30 seconds until tender but not mushy. Drain and divide among serving bowls. If using fresh rice noodles, briefly blanch to separate and heat through.

Freeze the 400 g round steak for 20–30 minutes beforehand to firm it for easier ultra-thin slicing. Using a very sharp knife, slice the raw round steak as thinly as possible across the grain into bite-size pieces. Keep the raw slices chilled on a plate until ready to serve.

Arrange garnishes on a platter: bean sprouts, basil, cilantro, lime wedges, sliced chilies, soaked yellow onion, hoisin, and sriracha.

Bring the strained broth to a rolling simmer. If you reserved some thinly sliced cooked beef from the broth meat, briefly reheat it in the hot broth for about 30–60 seconds.

To serve each bowl: place a portion of noodles in a bowl, arrange a generous handful of raw thin round steak slices on top (about 120–150 g per bowl if serving 4), add any reheated cooked beef if using, and pour 600–700 ml very hot broth over the meat and noodles so the heat cooks the raw slices to medium-rare. The hot broth should cook the thin raw slices in 20–30 seconds; adjust pour speed and broth temperature to your preference.

Top with sliced scallions and a grind of black pepper if using. Serve immediately with the platter of garnishes and sauces on the side so each diner can customize with bean sprouts, basil, lime, hoisin, and chili sauce.