Pho bo is Vietnam's beef and rice noodle soup, built on a clear, long simmered bone broth scented with charred onion, ginger, star anise, and cinnamon. You make it by simmering beef bones for hours, straining the broth clean, then pouring it boiling hot over rice noodles and thin raw beef slices so the meat cooks at the table.
Pho traces back to northern Vietnam in the early twentieth century, likely in Nam Dinh province, where it blended French cattle butchery habits (beef wasn't traditionally central to Vietnamese cooking) with Chinese noodle traditions. It became the country's most recognized dish after migration south and abroad carried it out of Hanoi.
The broth is the whole dish. Everything else, the noodles, the herbs, the beef, is assembly. If the broth is cloudy, over salted, or thin, no amount of garnish saves the bowl.
What Actually Matters
Skimming is not optional. Beef bones release a gray foam and rendered fat in the first 45 minutes of simmering, and if you do not remove it every 20 to 30 minutes, that foam re-emulsifies into the broth and turns it muddy and greasy instead of clear and clean. A rolling boil does the same damage by force, which is why pho broth is kept at a bare, lazy simmer for its entire cook.
Vietnamese Pho Bo, Serves 4
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef marrow or knuckle bones
- 1 pound beef brisket, whole
- 8 ounces beef sirloin, very thinly sliced
- 1 large yellow onion, halved
- 1 (3 inch) piece fresh ginger, halved lengthwise
- 2 whole cinnamon sticks
- 4 whole star anise
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 10 cups water
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce, plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 8 ounces dried flat rice noodles (banh pho)
- 2 cups fresh bean sprouts
- 1/2 cup fresh Thai basil leaves
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
Method
- Char the onion and ginger directly over a gas flame or under a broiler until blackened in spots, about 5 minutes, then rinse off the charred skin under cool water.
- Blanch the beef bones in a pot of boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse the bones clean.
- Toast the cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, and coriander seeds in a dry stockpot over medium heat for 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the bones, brisket, charred onion, ginger, and 10 cups water to the pot. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce to a bare simmer.
- Simmer uncovered for 3 hours, skimming foam and fat from the surface every 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the brisket after 1 hour, when tender, and set aside to cool before slicing thin.
- Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer, discard the solids, and season with fish sauce, sugar, and salt to taste.
- Cook the rice noodles according to the package directions, drain, and divide among 4 bowls. Top with sliced brisket and the raw sirloin.
- Bring the broth back to a full boil and ladle it directly over the beef in each bowl so the raw slices cook instantly. Serve with bean sprouts, basil, cilantro, scallions, lime, and jalapeno on the side.
Prep time: 20 minutes. Cook time: 3 hours 30 minutes. Total time: 3 hours 50 minutes.
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
| Calories | Protein | Fat | Carbohydrates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 430 | 33g | 13g | 48g |
This is a calculated estimate based on standard ingredient values, not a lab verified figure.
Tips, Variations, and Storage
Strained broth keeps in the refrigerator for 4 days or freezes well for up to 3 months. Freeze it separately from the noodles and herbs, since rice noodles turn mushy if held in liquid overnight. If you're short on time, a well made store bought beef bone broth doctored with the same toasted spices gets you most of the way there. For pho ga, swap in a whole chicken and chicken bones and skip the star anise heavy spicing in favor of a lighter touch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What cut of beef is best for pho?
Brisket for the simmered, tender pieces and a thin cut like sirloin or eye of round for the raw slices that cook in the hot broth at the table.
Why is my broth cloudy instead of clear?
Almost always a boil that was too aggressive, or foam that wasn't skimmed early enough. Keep it at a lazy simmer and skim in the first hour especially.
Can I make the broth ahead of time?
Yes. It freezes well for up to 3 months and the flavor only improves after a day in the refrigerator, once the fat has set and can be skimmed off the top.
Is pho gluten free?
The rice noodles are naturally gluten free, but check your fish sauce brand, since a few contain wheat as a filler.
More From Wine Drop Cookery
This recipe is one of nine on the Vietnamese recipes hub. For the gear that makes a multi hour broth easier to manage, see pots and cookware and kitchen essentials, or browse everything in the shop.
I'm Chef Alan. I have spent 35 years in professional kitchens, I have formal culinary education in New Hampshire, and I have been honored as a 6-Time 4-Diamond Chef. More about me here.
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