Pho Recipe

Prepare and blanch bones

Place the beef bones and any oxtail in a large stockpot. Cover with cold water (about 6 L). Bring to a hard boil over high heat and boil for 15 minutes. Boil vigorously to remove impurities that cause cloudiness.

After 15 minutes, drain the bones and discard the blanching water. Rinse the bones and the pot under running water to remove scum. Wipe the pot dry.

Return the cleaned bones to the pot and add fresh cold water (approx. 6 L). Add the chuck if you plan to cook it in the broth for slices of cooked beef; otherwise reserve raw beef for quick cooking later.

Char onion and ginger

While the bones are blanching, char the halved onion and ginger. Place them cut-side down on a gas burner or under a broiler until well blackened (about 5–10 minutes). Alternatively, char in a dry skillet until fragrant and dark. Wrap the charred pieces in foil to keep warm.

Toast whole spices

In a dry skillet over medium heat toast the star anise, cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, coriander seeds, and peppercorns for 2–4 minutes until fragrant, shaking the pan so spices don't burn. Transfer to a piece of cheesecloth or a small loose tea/mesh spice infuser and tie closed to make a sachet.

Add the charred onion, charred ginger (unpeeled or peeled if preferred), and the spice sachet to the pot of bones and water.

Bring the pot to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Maintain a very low simmer (small bubbles) for clarity—avoid boiling. Skim foam and fat from the surface with a ladle for the first 30–45 minutes and as needed.

Simmer uncovered for at least 3 hours, preferably 4–6 hours. If using marrow-rich bones, you can simmer up to 8 hours for deeper flavor. Add a little water if necessary to keep bones covered.

About 30 minutes before finishing, add the rock sugar and 4 tablespoons fish sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning with remaining fish sauce and salt. Remove the spice sachet, and use a slotted spoon to remove large bones; strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth into a clean pot to remove solids and sediment.

Soak dried rice noodles according to package directions: usually 20–30 minutes in warm water if wide/chewy, or briefly (3–5 minutes) in hot water if thin. Drain and portion into bowls. Alternatively, blanch noodles 5–10 seconds in boiling water until tender, then drain and divide among serving bowls.

If using raw thin-sliced beef for 'tai' (rare beef), freeze the steak for 20–30 minutes before slicing very thinly across the grain. If cooking chuck in the broth earlier, remove, slice thinly and reserve warm.

Bring strained broth back to a rolling simmer. Taste and finish seasoning: add remaining fish sauce (total approx. 6 tbsp), 1 tsp salt, and more sugar if needed. Keep the broth at a gentle rolling simmer so it’s very hot when ladled.

To serve, arrange portioned noodles in bowls. Top with raw thinly sliced beef (it will cook when hot broth is poured) and any cooked brisket or flank slices. Ladle the very hot broth directly over the meat and noodles, making sure rare beef is submerged to quick-cook.

Add garnishes: sprinkle sliced green onions and cilantro, add bean sprouts, Thai basil, lime wedges, and sliced chiles at the table. Offer hoisin and Sriracha on the side for individual seasoning.