For 15 years, I've been trying to make pho. Over the years, I've tried at least 50 times. They generally taste good, but they didn't taste like pho. Making Pho is an art and I've watched enough youtube recipes to loose count. From food bloggers in vietnam to home cooks, I've tried all sorts of variations. There was always something missing, but I finally got a recipe that works for me.
1 lb beef bones
1 lb ox tail
1 lb chicken bones
1 large cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp fennel seed
1 tsp cumin seed
5 star anis
5 bay leaves
3 inch piece of ginger
1 large onion
1/2 cup Nuoc mom fish sauce
1 tsp sichuan peppercorn (optional)
5 cloves
1 piece of rock sugar
2 tsp sea salt
Roasting the bones
Preheat the oven to 350F
Put the ox tail, chicken bones, ginger, onion and cinnamon stick on a baking sheet and roast it until the oxtail browns. Take it and let it rest for 15min and then rinse. Wash off the scum to get a clear broth.
Cooking the broth
Put the beef bones, ox tail, chicken bones, spices and rock sugar in a large stock pot and fill it 3/4 full. Slowly bring it up to a boil on medium and then turn it down to simmer. The reason for going slow is to keep the broth clear. If you bring it to a boil too quickly, the broth will become cloudy. Let it simmer on medium/low 12-18 hours.
Once the broth is done, carefully strain it through a fine sieve. Discard the bones and spices. At this point, you can store it in the frig or use it immediately to make pho.
I used thinly sliced lamb, onions, scallions and thinly sliced pork belly for my toppings.
