Pete's beef pho

Pete and I went to Vietnam last December and fell in love with their cuisine. One dish in particular; beef pho. A beef broth with thinly sliced beef and rice noodles. Light and absolutely delicious. We have been wanting to try our luck at making some, but many of the recipes looked rather complicated - what almost looked like pages of ingredients! But while flicking through my recipe books, I found what appeared to be some sort of 'cheats' version - beef stock rather than the boiling of beef bones and so on.

So here is Pete's take on the pho. Almost identical if you ask me! Flavorsome broth made with beef stock and spices as well as the beef slices, tender rice noodles and the mandatory garnish of bean sprouts and spring onions. A definite must try!

Pho Bo

Ingredients



4 cups water

4 cups beef stock

8cm piece fresh ginger (40g), sliced thinly

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 garlic cloves, quartered

1/3 cup coarsley chopped fresh coriander root and stem mixture

1 star anise

500g piece eye fillet, sliced thinly

375g dried rice stick noodles

8 green onions sliced thinly

2 cups bean sprouts

1/3 cup loosely packed vietnamese mint leaves

1/3 cup loosely packed fresh coriander leaves

2 fresh small red thai chillies, chopped finely

2 lemons, cut into wedges

Method

1. Combine the water, stock, ginger, sauce, juice, garlic, coriander mixture and star anise in a large saucepan; bring to the boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

2. Strain broth through muslin-lined sieve into large heatproof bowl; discard solids. Return broth to pan, add beef; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for about 3 minutes or until beef is cooked as desired.

3. Meanwhile, place noodles into a large heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water; stand until tender, drain.

4. Divide noodles, onion and sprouts among serving bowls; ladle hot broth into bowls. Serve with separate bowls of herbs, chilli and lemon so each person can add what they wish to their bowl.

Serves 4.

(Excuse the photo straight from the recipe book - couldn't find it online!)

Source: 100 Fast fillets, The Australian Women's Weekly, 2007.