What I Did For Pho

My short story "What I Did For Pho" is going to be included in an upcoming anthology. For the accompanying bio, the editor suggested I include a personal recipe for pho. Pho is the iconic noodle soup dish of Vietnam. It's true that I make pho at home, but my recipe is far from authentic and I hesitated. But what is really authentic? I've had so many phos at so many different restaurants (although sadly, never in Vietnam) and they've all tasted different. Why not include my own version?


Simple Homemade Pho

1 large beef shank (preferably from a grass-fed cow who's been treated in a humane way)

1 large stick of lemongrass

1/2 onion or three shallots

clove of garlic

a good chunk of ginger or galangal

1 lime

salt

fish sauce

Thai basil (optional)

cilantro (optional)

mint (optional)

bean sprouts (optional)

hoisin (optional)

chili sauce (optional)

Vietnamese or Thai rice noodles (often labeled as "rice stick")

Put the beef shank in a large bowl of cold water.  Let it soak for about one to two hours.  This gets some of the impurities out.

Transfer the shank into a large pot and fill with fresh cold water.  The water should completely cover the shank by at least an inch.  Bring the water to a boil.  As soon as the water boils, turn it down to a good simmer.  In about five minutes scum should start floating to the top.  Remove as much as you can with a skimmer or a spoon.  To the cooking liquid add lemongrass (if using), garlic, onion (or shallots), and ginger.  Turn the heat down to a slow, gentle simmer and cook the broth for some four hours.  Keep checking every half hour or so to make sure there's still a nice level of water in the pot.  If you need to, add more water.

After four hours, the meat should be falling off the bone.  Which is what you want.  Take the shank out of the broth and let it cool until you can touch it without burning yourself.  At this point, remove everything else, like the lemongrass, and discard.  When the beef has cooled, remove the bone and slice the beef into thin pieces. 

Meanwhile, season the broth with salt.  How much salt you'll need will depend on how much broth you have.  Start with a small amount.  Taste.  Add more if needed.  You don't want it to be too salty because you'll be adding fish sauce next, about a teaspoon.  Keep tasting and adjusting the salt and fish sauce until the broth is the way you like it.

Now for the noodles.  Rice noodles can come fully dried or partially dried.  The fully dried ones need to be soaked in water for about half an hour and then put into boiling water for about five minutes.  Cooking times for noodles vary greatly.  What I do is check the noodles every few minutes to see if they're done, usually by dipping a noodle in cold water and eating it.  The partially dried noodles need no soaking time.  A gentle dip in boiling water should do the trick.  But again, you must test the noodles as frequently as possible or you will get a mush.

To assemble, put the noodles in a warmed bowl.  Garnish with beef and any combination of bean sprouts, cilantro, Thai basil, mint, etc.  Slice the lime and squeeze lime juice into the bowl.  Add piping hot broth.  Flavor with hoisin sauce or chili sauce or both.  That's the beauty of pho—you decide how it should taste.