Chín Nạm Gầu Gân Sách Phở Recipe

Trim and prepare

Trim excess fat and membrane from the brisket and flank. Rinse tendon and tripe thoroughly under cold running water. For tripe, if not pre-cleansed, rub with salt and rinse, then blanch in boiling water briefly and scrape if needed to remove any residual impurities.

Bring 2 liters of water to a rolling boil in a large stockpot. Add 50 ml rice vinegar to the boiling water (this helps clean off surface proteins) and add the prepared brisket, flank, tendon and tripe. Blanche (boil) for 3–5 minutes until scum rises to the surface.

Using tongs, remove all meats to a large colander or tray. Discard the blanching water and thoroughly rinse the pot to remove residue.

Rinse the blanched meats under cold water to stop cooking and remove remaining scum. Set aside while you prepare the broth.

In the cleaned large stockpot, add 6 liters of fresh cold water. Add the charred aromatics: if using charred onion and ginger, place the halved onions and halved ginger on a hot skillet or directly over a gas flame and char until blackened in spots (about 5–8 minutes). Add to the pot.

Toast the spices in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2–3 minutes until fragrant: star anise, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, coriander seeds, cloves, and black peppercorns. Tie them in a piece of cheesecloth or add directly to the pot in a metal tea infuser.

Add the toasted spices to the pot with the water and aromatics. Add 20 g rock sugar and 2 tbsp coarse sea salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.

Once simmering, carefully add the blanched brisket and flank. Reduce heat to maintain a low simmer (small bubbles) — do not boil vigorously to keep the meat tender.

Add the cleaned tendon and tripe to the simmering pot. Add 4 tbsp fish sauce and the optional 1 tsp ginger powder. Add tied scallion whites and cilantro stems into the pot to infuse. Partially cover the pot and simmer gently.

Simmer the meats according to texture: brisket and flank for 2 to 2.5 hours until fork-tender; tendon for 2 to 3 hours until gelatinous and tender; tripe for 1.5 to 2 hours until tender but still with slight chew. Start checking tenderness after the minimum time and adjust as needed. Keep heat at a very gentle simmer to avoid toughening.

Skim foam occasionally and top up with boiling water if level drops below the meats to keep them mostly submerged.

When meats reach desired tenderness, turn off heat and remove meats to a cutting board. Reserve the poaching broth; strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth to remove solids and spices. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional fish sauce or salt if needed.

While still warm (but cool enough to handle), separate the brisket, flank, tendon and tripe. For brisket and flank: with a sharp knife, slice thinly across the grain into 2–3 mm (1/8 inch) slices. For tendon: slice thinly across the fibers; if very large, halve lengthwise first. Tendon may be slightly chewy but should be tender and glossy. For tripe: thinly slice into bite-sized strips or ribbons. Keep slices on a tray and cover lightly with a damp towel to prevent drying.

To serve in phở or as plated cold/warm chín: Reheat strained broth to piping hot. Briefly immerse sliced meats in the hot broth (10–15 seconds) to rewarm and slightly poach, or arrange slices in bowls and pour hot broth over them.

Garnish as desired with fresh herbs, bean sprouts, lime, sliced chilies, and hoisin/sriracha when serving as phở. Leftover broth keeps refrigerated for 3–4 days or frozen.