Beef pho

Ingredients

• 1 L Beef Stock
• 1 large Onion
• 1 Large Chopped Ginger
• 1 Cinnamon Stick
• 2 Star Anise
• 1 tsp Coriander Seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon Cloves
• 225g Sirloin steak
• 1 tsp Palm Sugar
• 1 tablespoon Fish Sauce
• 1 ½ tbsp Soy Sauce
• 200g Rice Noodles
• 2 sliced Spring Onions
• 1 small Birds-eye Chillies
• Handful Basil
• Handful Coriander
• 1 Lime

Quantities are the original recipe’s. The cost is our own estimate — typical own-brand supermarket prices for these quantities, divided by 4 servings. TheMealDB does not state how many a dish serves, so 4 is our assumption, not theirs. Treat it as “about this much a head”, not a shopping bill.

Method

1. Pour the beef stock into a large saucepan with 500ml of water.
2. Halve the onion and put it in a dry frying pan with the ginger, then char both over a high heat for 3-5 mins, turning so they colour on all sides (a hot grill works too).
3. Transfer the charred onion and ginger to the stock.
4. In the same pan, toast the cinnamon, star anise, coriander seeds and cloves for 2-3 mins until fragrant, then tip these into the stock as well.
5. Bring the stock up to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and leave for 30mins before straining into a clean pan.
6. While the stock simmers, trim the fat from the steak, wrap the meat in clingfilm and freeze for 15 mins to firm it up, then slice it thinly and keep it chilled, covered, until needed.
7. Season the strained stock to taste with the palm sugar, fish sauce and soy sauce.
8. Cook the rice noodles following the packet instructions, then divide between two serving bowls and lay the raw sliced beef on top.
9. Bring the stock back to a rolling boil and ladle it straight over the beef so the heat cooks the slices through.
10. Scatter over the spring onions, chilli and a handful each of basil and coriander, then serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.

These steps were written by StreetOwl from the original recipe, in British English, with every oven temperature and cooking time checked against the source. They are not the original author’s words. If anything reads oddly, the original is linked below and it wins.