Tái Chín Phở Recipe

Char the onion and ginger: place halved onion and ginger (cut side down) on a gas flame or under a broiler until blackened in spots, about 5–8 minutes. Rinse briefly to remove loose soot; keep charred surface for flavor.

Toast spices: in a dry skillet over medium heat, toast star anise, cinnamon sticks, cloves, coriander seeds and cardamom pods until fragrant, 2–3 minutes. Transfer to a piece of cheesecloth or spice bag and tie closed (or keep loose to strain later).

Parboil bones: place beef bones in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a rolling boil for 8–10 minutes to remove impurities. Skim foam, then drain bones and rinse under warm water. Clean pot to remove residues.

Make the broth: return parboiled bones to the clean pot and add 4 liters (about 16 cups) cold water. Add charred onion and ginger and the toasted spice bag. Bring to a gentle simmer (not a hard boil) and cook uncovered for 3–4 hours, skimming scum occasionally.

Season broth: in the last 30 minutes of simmering add rock sugar, fish sauce and salt. Taste and adjust: add more fish sauce for umami or a pinch more salt if needed. Remove from heat and let sit 10 minutes.

Strain broth: strain through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a clean pot. Discard solids. If you want a clearer broth, let it rest in the refrigerator for 1–2 hours and skim hardened fat from the surface, then reheat gently until just steaming.

Prepare brisket (if not pre-cooked): place 1 lb lean brisket in simmering seasoned broth and poach for 1–1.5 hours until tender. Remove, cool slightly, and slice very thin across the grain. Reserve cooking juices for the broth if desired.

Freeze or partially freeze eye-round steak for 30–40 minutes to make thin slicing easier. Using a very sharp knife, slice the steak across the grain as thinly as possible (paper-thin). Season lightly with 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper; set aside on a plate covered and chilled.

To serve raw-sliced steak (tai chin) technique: when assembling bowls, the hot broth will cook the thin slices almost instantly. Ensure broth is steaming (not vigorously boiling) when poured over raw beef.

Prepare noodles: if using dried rice noodles, soak them in very hot (just-off-boil) water for 8–12 minutes until pliable but slightly firm (they will finish cooking in the broth). For fresh noodles, briefly dip in boiling water to loosen. Drain and divide into serving bowls.

Heat the broth: bring strained broth to a vigorous simmer and then lower to a rolling steam. Taste once more and adjust seasoning. Keep broth piping hot for serving.

Plate the bowls: place a portion of noodles in each bowl, arrange several slices of cooked brisket on one side and fan raw eye-round slices across the top. Scatter sliced scallions and chopped cilantro over noodles.

Finish with hot broth: ladle the hot broth over the bowl in one swift pour, covering noodles and raw beef. The heat will cook the thin eye-round to a rare/medium-rare doneness (tai chin).

Serve immediately with garnishes: provide plates of Thai basil, culantro, bean sprouts, lime wedges and sliced chili. Offer hoisin and Sriracha on the side so each diner can customize their bowl.

How to eat: squeeze lime, add herbs and bean sprouts to your preference. Use hoisin for sweetness/umami and sriracha for heat. Slurp and enjoy while broth is hot and beef is freshly cooked by the broth.