The BEST Beef Phở (Phở Bò) Recipe

beef bones

🥗Healthier: chicken bones

💰Cheaper: pork bones

Chicken bones provide a lighter broth, while pork bones are often less expensive.

beef brisket

🥗Healthier: lean beef

💰Cheaper: flank steak

Lean beef reduces fat content, and flank steak is usually more affordable.

fish sauce

🥗Healthier: soy sauce

💰Cheaper: salt

Soy sauce is a vegetarian alternative, while salt is a basic substitute.

rice noodles

🥗Healthier: zucchini noodles

💰Cheaper: egg noodles

Zucchini noodles are lower in carbs, and egg noodles are often less expensive.

Cut honeycomb tripe into bite-sized pieces.

Boil water in a pot, add bay leaf, half an onion, peppercorns, and salt.

Add tripe to boiling water, bring to a boil, then fasten lid on pressure cooker.

Cook tripe for about 1.5 hours, checking for tenderness after 1.5 hours.

Boil water in a separate pot, add sea salt and tendon, blanch for about 5 minutes.

Strain tendon, rinse under cold water, and cut into chunks about 3/4 inch.

In a pot with about 1 gallon of water, season with salt and add chopped tendon, half an onion, bay leaf, and peppercorns.

Bring to a simmer, secure lid on pressure cooker, and cook for 90 minutes for a chewy texture or 1 hour 40 minutes for a very tender texture.

Toast coriander seed, star anise, black cardamom, and cinnamon stick in a sauté pan until aromatic, then remove and let cool.

Heat pan to near smoke point, add a touch of oil, and char half an onion and ginger until nicely colored.

Optionally add lemongrass and toast for about 30 seconds, then remove from heat.

Drain cooked tripe and discard liquid; strain tendon but reserve liquid for broth.

Boil water in a pot and blanch bones for about 10 minutes to achieve a clearer broth.

Strain bones, wash pot, and rinse bones.

In pressure cooker, add about 1.5 gallons of water, reserved tendon liquid, and bones.

Add fish sauce, spices, charred onion, ginger, lemongrass, and rock sugar to the pot.

Bring to a simmer, cover, reduce temperature to low, and simmer for 4 to 6 hours.

After simmering, strain the broth using a china cap lined with cheesecloth or fine mesh sieve.

Skim excess fat from the top of the broth if desired.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens