Shortcut Pho Bo
By: Karen Harris
Published: Friday, November 11, 2011 - 6:16am

Ingredients




8 ounces rice stick noodles, plus warm water for soaking
6 cups water
2 tablespoons beef bouillon powder or granules
1 - 2 star anise (I used 1/8 teaspoon anise seed)
1 large garlic clove sliced into fourths
1 medium size onion, cut into fourths
1 – 1” piece of cinnamon stick
1 – 1” piece of fresh gingerroot
1 - 2 cloves

Preparation

1 1 pound very thinly sliced beefsteak (if slicing by hand, slice partially frozen meat with a very sharp knife) 2 1/2 pound fresh beansprouts 3 4 sprigs basil (Thai or Italian are both good) 4 4 large green onions, thinly sliced 5 2 large fresh jalapenos, thinly sliced 6 1 small bunch cilantro 7 Sriracha chili sauce 8 Hoisin sauce 9 Soy sauce 10 Prepare noodles according to package directions.  My noodles required soaking in warm water for 1 hour before boiling so read the package directions carefully to avoid eating at midnight. 11 Pour six cups of water in a large stockpot.  Add beef bouillon, anise, garlic, onion, cinnamon stick, gingerroot and cloves.  Bring to a low boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes or so.  Remove the spices with a spider or slotted spoon and discard; keep warm and set aside until ready to use. 12 Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.  Add the soaked noodles and boil for 1 – 2 minutes or until soft.  Drain noodles and rinse.  Divide the noodles equally among 4 large bowls. 13 Just before serving, add desired amount of the steak into the broth for a medium well doneness.  Pour over the noodles.  If you prefer rare to medium rare steak add the meat to the broth once it has been poured over the noodles and immediately before serving. 14 Serve piping hot with the remaining ingredients on the side to add to the soup as you like. 15 Serves 4

About

Even if you don't have a stock of beef bones and all day to make it, you can enjoy delicious homemade Vietnamese beef noodle soup, Pho Bo.  My easy shortcut version of this favorite will give everyone an accessible version to make in their own kitchen.