Phở Đặc Biệt -special Pho Noodle Soup Recipe
Beef broth with rare beef, soft tendon, meatballs, rice noodles.
Was this page helpful?
Help improve this recipe for others.
Send this recipe to your inbox.
We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.
Ingredients
Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Broth
Meats & Proteins
Noodles & Bowls
Garnish & Condiments
Method
Broth
- 1
Blanch bones
Place marrow, oxtail and knuckle bones in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a rapid boil for 10 minutes to remove impurities. Drain and thoroughly rinse bones and pot to remove scum.
- 2
- 3
Toast spices
In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast star anise, cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom pods and coriander seeds for 2–3 minutes until aromatic. Place toasted spices in a piece of cheesecloth or spice infuser and tie closed.
- 4
Simmer broth
Return cleaned bones to the stockpot and add 5 liters of fresh water. Add charred onion, ginger, the spice bundle, and rock sugar. Bring to a gentle boil, then immediately reduce to a low simmer. Skim any scum during the first 30–40 minutes. Simmer gently, uncovered or partially covered, for 4–6 hours; longer (up to 8 hours) yields deeper flavor. Add beef knuckle bones if not used earlier so collagen develops.
- 5
Add salt and fish sauce
During the last 30 minutes of simmering, add salt and fish sauce to taste (start with 4 tbsp fish sauce and 2 tsp salt). Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove spice bundle, onion and ginger pieces with a slotted spoon or strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve.
- 6
Clarify and finish
For a clear broth, strain through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a clean pot. Skim off excess fat from the surface or refrigerate to solidify fat for easier removal. Keep broth hot (just below simmer) for serving.
Meats & Proteins
- 7
Prepare rare beef
Thinly slice the eye round or sirloin across the grain into very thin slices (about 1/16–1/8 inch). Arrange slices on a chilled plate and refrigerate until ready to serve. Freezing the beef for 20–30 minutes before slicing makes ultra-thin slices easier.
- 8
Cook tendon
If using raw beef tendon, add to the simmering broth early (3–4 hours before finish) so it becomes tender; simmer gently until soft (this can take 3–5 hours). If using pre-cooked tendon, warm in the hot broth for 10–15 minutes before serving and slice into bite-sized pieces.
- 9
Prepare meatballs
If using frozen/store-bought bò viên, poach in simmering broth for 6–8 minutes until heated through. If homemade, form into small balls and simmer similarly until cooked through. Keep meatballs warm in the broth until serving.
Noodles & Assembly
- 10
Prepare noodles
Bring a separate large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add dried rice noodles and cook according to package directions (typically 5–7 minutes for dried; less for fresh) until tender but not mushy. Stir gently to prevent sticking. Immediately drain and rinse briefly with cold water to stop cooking and remove surface starch. If using fresh noodles, dip briefly (30–45 seconds) in boiling water until separated and pliable.
- 11
Heat broth and blanch proteins
Bring the strained broth back to a rolling boil in a clean pot. Using a slotted spoon, quickly dip the thin raw beef slices into the boiling broth for 3–6 seconds to cook the exterior but leave tender (for rare beef, pour boiling broth directly over the raw slices in the bowl—see assembly). Ensure meatballs and tendon are heated through in the hot broth.
- 12
Assemble bowls
Divide cooked rice noodles among 4 large bowls (about 4 oz noodles per serving). Top each bowl with several slices of raw beef (tái), 3 meatballs, and pieces of tendon. Ladle several ladles of boiling hot strained broth over the bowl so the beef cooks to desired doneness. If you prefer very rare beef, place raw slices on top of noodles and pour boiling broth directly to gently cook the outer layer.
- 13
Garnish & serve
Add sliced white onion and sprinkle sliced green onions and chopped cilantro over each bowl. Serve with bean sprouts, Thai basil, lime wedges, sliced chiles, hoisin and Sriracha on the side so each diner can season to taste. Provide extra fish sauce if desired.
