Vietnamese Beef Pho

Name: Vietnamese Beef Pho
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Cuisine: Asian, Vietnamese
Ingredients: 1 pound, 85 percent lean ground beef; 2 , onions, quartered through root end; 12 cups, low-sodium beef broth; 1/4 cup, fish sauce, plus extra for seasoning; 1 (4-inch) piece, ginger, sliced into thin rounds; 1 , cinnamon stick; 2 tablespoons, sugar, plus extra for seasoning; 6 , star anise pods; 6 , whole cloves; , Salt; 1 teaspoon, black peppercorns; 1 (1-pound), boneless strip steak, trimmed and halved; 14-16 ounces (1/8-inch-wide), rice noodles; 1/3 cup, chopped fresh cilantro; 3 , scallions, sliced thin (optional); , bean sprouts; Sprigs, fresh Thai or Italian basil; , Lime wedges; , hoisin sauce; , Sriracha sauce

61 comments

Appears in Cook's Illustrated January/February 2014, America's Test Kitchen TV

We set out to make a version of Vietnamese beef pho with a clear, beefy broth that doesn't require the typical hours of simmering time.

SERVES4 to 6

TIME2½ hours

has video

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Pho is considered Vietnam's national dish, and it has many regional variations. To produce a broth with the flavor and complexity of the traditional broth in less time, we start by blanching ground beef in water. To the broth, we add fish s...

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