Pho Bo with Beef Tendon and Tail

Name: Pho Bo with Beef Tendon and Tail
Cuisine: Vietnamese, Asian
Ingredients: 1 each onion (large); 4 oz ginger (fresh); 2 each beef tendons; 1 lb ox tail (trimmed of fat); 5 each star anise (total of 40 points); 6 each cloves (whole); 3 inch cinnamon (stick); 1 tbsp coriander seeds (whole); 1 tbsp fennel seeds (whole); 2 each cardamom pods (whole, 1 green and 1 black); 5 quart water (cold); 4 tbsp fish sauce (Red Boat brand preferred); 1.5 tbsp kosher salt; 1 tbsp brown sugar (palm); 10 oz rice noodles (dry, [banh pho]); 12 oz angus beef (sliced across the grain 1/16" thick sirloin preferred); 1 bunch cilantro (fresh [ngo]); 1 bunch chives (fresh); 1 bunch Thai basil (fresh [hung que]); 6 slices key lime; 3 each Thai chili pepper (red or green); 6 oz soy bean sprouts

15 steps

There are many good Pho recipes available online. My version is based on Andrea Nguyen’s Beef Pho Noodle Soup Recipe (Pho Bo), where you can find detailed information about Pho. I use 6-quart Crock-Pot or 6-quart Instant Pot for making the stock. Both pots make velvety thick and flavorful beef stock; Crock-Pot does the job in 6-8 hours of slow overnight cooking, Instant Pot — in 1.5 hours of high-pressure cooking. Use trimmed oxtail with minimum fat and precook it with beef tendons under the broil.

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 11:27:10 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Unbalanced

Nutrition per serving

Calories461.9 kcal (23%)

Total Fat13.7 g (20%)

Carbs51.4 g (20%)

Sugars5 g (6%)

Protein33.4 g (67%)

Sodium2708.2 mg (135%)

Fiber4.5 g (16%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

6 servings

Instructions

to char

Step 1

Prepare your 6-quart slow or pressure cooker. Fill the insert (referred to as pot later) with 3 quarts of cold water. The rest of the water — 2 more quarts — will be added later to dilute the stock before serving.

Step 2

Peel and quarter onion. Quarter or cut ginger to 3-4 large pieces. Arrange onion, ginger, oxtail, and beef tendons on a baking sheet.

Step 3

Broil them on top rack for 5 minutes until the oxtail is brown on both sides. Transfer tendons and oxtail to the cooker insert. Continue charring the onions and ginger under the broil for about ten minutes. Transfer them to the pot.

to prep spices

Step 4

Break cinnamon into smaller pieces. Dry-toast all spices on a hot skillet — star anise, cloves, cinnamon pieces, coriander and fennel seeds, and cardamom pods. Place and tie them up in a cheesecloth sack. Add to the pot insert.

to make stock

Step 5

With all the ingredients in the pot, make sure the water level is not above the MAX marker. Add seasoning ingredients — fish sauce, salt, and palm sugar. I also like adding scallions or chives, but it's optional. Close the lid and turn on the cookers. For slow cooker, cook on HIGH for 1 hour to bring water to boiling, then switch to LOW and leave it cooking for 6-7 more hours, undisturbed. Press the SOUP button for the Instant Pot pressure cooker and leave it undisturbed for about 2-2.5 hours.

Step 6

Strain and discard vegetables.

Step 7

Strain tendons, place them in a container, add stock to cover them completely and refrigerate until ready to use.

Step 8

Strain oxtail segments, place them in a container, add stock to cover them completely and refrigerate until ready to use.

Step 9

Strain the rest of the stock and keep refrigerated in a separate contaner until ready to use.

to serve soup

Step 10

Prepare soup toppings. Slice key limes and Thai chiles. Chop chives. Pick cilantro and Thai basil leaves.

Step 11

Slice tendons across 1/4-1/5" thick. Place tendons and oxtail in a pot, add all stock and 2 quarts of water and bring to simmer on high heat, reduce to low and keep simmering.

Step 12

Follow packaging instruction to prepare dry rice noodles. I like serving no more than 2 oz of dry noodles per portion. Portion cooked noodles into each bowl and add about 1/3 cup of hot stock into each one to cover noodles.

Step 13

Blanch soybean sprouts in simmering stock for for 30 sec. Portion them into each bowl.

Step 14