House Special Pho Pt. 1/4 - Broth (Instant Pot)

Pick a bag of beef bones from the Vietnamese market, ensuring they have big pieces and avoiding small cylinder pieces.

Blanch the beef bones and beef shank in a large pot filled with water, bringing it to a boil.

Skim off impurities, scum, and foam as soon as it comes to a boil, then turn off the heat.

Rinse the bones under cold water, scrubbing them to remove any bone fragments and hidden scum.

Char the onions and ginger in an air fryer at 400°F for 13 minutes on each side, or in the oven at 400°F for 30 minutes, rotating halfway through, until blistered and burnt on the outer layers.

Clean and prepare three stalks of scallion.

Toast one cardamom pod, one cinnamon stick, two cloves, two star anise, fennel seeds, and coriander seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for three minutes, swirling the pan to prevent burning.

Place the toasted spices in a cheesecloth or soup bag.

In an 8-quart Instant Pot, layer the beef bones at the bottom, followed by the charred onions and ginger, scallions, spice bag, two quarts of water, and beef shank.

Add five tablespoons of fish sauce, two teaspoons of salt, 2.5 ounces of rock sugar (or start with two tablespoons of granulated sugar), and two tablespoons of chicken bouillon.

Pressure cook on high for 30 minutes, followed by a natural pressure release (NPR) for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes of NPR, switch the valve to venting, covering with a towel to prevent mess.

Remove the beef shank and add one more quart of water, then close the lid and pressure cook for an additional two hours.

After two hours, remove and reserve all ingredients (onions, ginger, spice bag, bones, scallion) for future broth batches.

Pour the broth through a fine strainer, returning the strained ingredients to the Instant Pot if making more broth.

Optionally, filter the fat out of the broth using a method of choice, or refrigerate overnight to harden the fat for easier removal.

Taste test the broth and adjust seasoning to preference.

Ladle hot broth over prepared bowls of pho and enjoy.

Equipment Needed

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