As in I would eat Pho 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. That’s Pho Sho. Are you Pho Real? Phogetaboutit. Enough already.
Vietnamese cuisine is influenced by the Asian principle of 5 elements and Mahābhūta. Check it out, it’s interesting.
I recently taught a Pho class at the Abundant Kitchen, from bone to broth. It was an adventure for me in itself as I have loved Pho for years and years and years and years and have made it often. I will let you in on a little secret. Sometimes I cheat. I use a ready made soup paste that my local friend at Shuang Hur Supermarket in Minneapolis uses when she feels “super lazy.” Alas, it is but a substitute. Nevertheless, it does not compare to the 6+ hour process from bone to broth. Better yet, you can tailor it to whatever your taste is. You like a lot of clove? Add more clove! You don’t like cinnamon? Use less cinnamon! It’s your soup, make it the way you want.
The photos are that of oxtail and the spices and vegetables used for making Phở Bò, Vietnamese beef noodle soup. Typically I like knuckle joints and beef bones, but they were out that day at Shuang Hur, so I substituted with oxtail, which also provides a rich, thick and mouth watering broth. The cast iron Le Creuset pan (click here for where to buy) contains star anise, cinnamon, ginger, white onion, clove, black cardamom (very different from the typical green cardamon sold at the grocery store) and fennel.
I find myself adding more spices every time that I make it. My favorite part has to be the finale of the masterpiece. The toppings. As with my Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup, I love me some toppings!
Mint, Basil, hoisin sauce, red chili pepper flakes, jalapeno and bean sprouts. Toss it all in until you can’t tell its soup. Ok, not really. It just looks like it with all of those bean sprouts that I added.
Follow the link for the recipe for Phở Bò and tell me what you think. I really want to hear how it turned out.
My next adventure will be homemade rice noodles! Try it once I say. Then, buy them for .99¢ for a bag that will last you forever.
Enjoy this beautiful 95 degree day! Check on your garden, the plants need watering.
Ciao for now…or…tạm biệt