Authentic Vietnamese Beef Pho (Phở Bò)
This pho recipe walks you through every step of building that deeply aromatic, crystal-clear beef broth from scratch, the kind that fills your kitchen with the warm scent of cinnamon, star anise, and charred ginger.
Equipment
- Large stockpot - 12-16 quart capacity
- Large skillet or cast iron pan - for charring onion and ginger
- Fine-mesh strainer
- Cheesecloth - for spice bundle
- Kitchen twine - for spice bundle
- Large ladle
- Sharp chef's knife - for slicing beef paper-thin
- Cutting board
- Medium saucepan - for cooking noodles separately
- Large mixing bowl - for ice bath
- Serving bowls - large and deep
- Tongs
- Slotted spoon - for skimming
Ingredients
- 4 lbs beef bones - 1.8 kg, a mix of knuckle, marrow, and leg bones
- 1 lb beef brisket or beef chuck - 450g, whole piece
- 2 medium yellow onions - halved
- 1 large knob fresh ginger - about 4 inches or 10 cm, halved lengthwise
- 5 whole star anise
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 6 whole cloves
- 1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 1 black cardamom pod - optional, but highly recommended
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce - plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon rock sugar - or 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt - or to taste
- 12-14 cups water - 3-3.5 liters, plus more for parboiling
For Serving
- 14 oz dried flat rice noodles - 400g, banh pho, medium width
- 8 oz beef eye of round or sirloin - 225g, very thinly sliced, for raw beef topping
Fresh Toppings
- 2 cups fresh bean sprouts
- fresh Thai basil sprigs
- fresh cilantro - roughly chopped
- 1 lime - cut into wedges
- 2-3 fresh Thai bird chilies or jalapeños - thinly sliced
- 4 green onions - thinly sliced
- 1 small white onion - very thinly sliced
- hoisin sauce - for serving
- sriracha - for serving
Instructions
- Halve onions and ginger lengthwise, keeping skin on. Char in a dry cast iron skillet over high heat for 5-7 minutes until deeply blackened, then flip for 2-3 more minutes.
- Toast star anise, cinnamon, cloves, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, and black cardamom in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Wrap in a double layer of cheesecloth and tie with twine.
- Place bones and brisket in stockpot, cover with cold water, and bring to a rapid boil for 5-10 minutes to release impurities. Drain, rinse bones and brisket thoroughly, and clean the pot.
- Return cleaned bones and brisket to pot with 12-14 cups of fresh cold water. Add charred onions, ginger, spice bundle, fish sauce, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer uncovered for 3-4 hours, skimming foam and fat every 30 minutes. After 1.5-2 hours, remove brisket, shock in ice water, and refrigerate until serving.
- Strain the finished broth through a fine mesh strainer, discarding bones, spices, and aromatics. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional fish sauce, sugar, or salt as needed. Keep warm over low heat.
- Cook rice noodles in a separate pot of boiling water according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Divide noodles among serving bowls.
- Thinly slice brisket across the grain. Place brisket and raw sirloin slices over the noodles. Scatter with white onion and green onion.
- Bring broth to a full rolling boil and ladle generously over each bowl. Serve immediately with bean sprouts, Thai basil, cilantro, lime wedges, chilies, hoisin, and sriracha on the side.
Notes
- Don't skip the parboil. This step is crucial for clear broth. Rinsing the bones thoroughly removes impurities that would otherwise cloud your finished broth.
- Keep the simmer gentle. A rolling boil will make the broth cloudy. Maintain a lazy simmer with just a few bubbles breaking the surface.
- Use quality fish sauce. Brands like Red Boat or Three Crabs provide clean umami depth without an overpowering fishy taste.
- Slice raw beef as thin as possible. Partially freeze the beef for 20-30 minutes before slicing for paper-thin cuts that cook instantly in the hot broth.
- Toast spices until fragrant, not smoky. Over-toasting turns spices bitter and can overpower the broth.
- Make ahead. The broth tastes even better the next day after flavors meld. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Store noodles separately. Keep cooked noodles in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Toss with a little oil to prevent sticking.
- Reheat properly. Always bring broth to a full rolling boil before serving. Never reheat noodles in the broth.
- Serve boiling hot. Pho cools quickly once ladled. The hotter the broth, the better the raw beef cooks and the more enjoyable the eating experience.