Phở bò — vietnamesische Rindfleisch-Nudelsuppe
Star anise, cinnamon, charred ginger and onion, beef bones simmered for 4 hours. Thin rice noodles. Paper-thin raw eye round that cooks in the ladled-over broth. Hanoi version — restrained, herb-forward, no hoisin.
Char ginger and onion until blackened. Blanch beef bones to remove scum. Simmer the cleaned bones with the charred aromatics and a sachet of star anise, cinnamon, clove, cardamom, and coriander seed for 4 hours. Season with fish sauce, rock sugar, and salt. Pour boiling broth over softened noodles topped with paper-thin raw eye round. Finish with scallion, cilantro, white pepper. Serve Hanoi-style with no hoisin — just sliced chili, lime, fresh chili sauce.
- Char the ginger and onion until the surfaces are properly blackened — that's where the smoky depth comes from.
- Blanch the bones before simmering for clear, clean broth. Skip this and you'll skim impurities all day.
- Slice the raw eye round paper-thin against the grain — freezer-firm it 20 minutes first for clean cuts.
Equipment
- 8 L stockpot
- Tongs
- Fine-mesh skimmer
- Long ladle
- Sharp knife (for the rare beef)
Zutaten
Broth
- 1.5 kg beef marrow and knuckle bones
- 500 g beef brisket or chuck, in 2 pieces
- 1 large onion, halved, skins on
- 60 g fresh ginger, halved lengthwise, skin on
- 3 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 whole cloves
- 2 green cardamom pods
- 5 g coriander seeds
- 5 g fennel seeds
- 30 ml fish sauce, plus more to taste
- 25 g yellow rock sugar, or palm sugar
- 10 g fine salt
- Water to cover — about 4 L
Assembly
- 300 g dried bánh phở (flat rice noodles, medium width)
- 300 g beef eye round, sliced paper-thin against the grain
- 1 small onion, sliced paper-thin
- 4 scallions, sliced (white and green separated)
- Small handful cilantro, chopped
- Fresh ground white pepper
Table garnish
- Lime wedges
- Sliced bird's-eye chilies
- Tương ớt (Vietnamese fresh chili sauce)
- Optional Southern-style: bean sprouts, Thai basil
Zubereitung
- SCHRITT01
Set the onion (cut side down) and ginger directly over a gas flame, or under a hot broiler. Char until the surfaces are properly blackened in patches — 5–8 minutes. The smoke is the point. Set aside.
- SCHRITT02
Put the bones and brisket in a large pot. Cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and let bubble hard for 5 minutes. Drain in the sink, rinse the bones and meat under cold water, scrub off any clinging scum. Wipe the pot clean.
- SCHRITT03
Dry-toast the star anise, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, coriander, and fennel in a small pan over medium heat for 60 seconds, until aromatic. Tie in cheesecloth or drop into a tea ball.
- SCHRITT04
Return the bones, brisket, charred onion and ginger, and the spice sachet to the clean pot. Cover with about 4 L cold water. Bring to a bare simmer over medium-high heat. Skim any scum from the surface — it should be much less than before the blanch.
- SCHRITT05
Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer — large lazy bubbles, never a hard boil. Cook 4 hours, uncovered, skimming occasionally. Top up with hot water if the bones become exposed.
- SCHRITT06
After 90 minutes, the brisket should be tender. Lift it out and chill in ice water briefly. Slice thin against the grain. Reserve for serving.
- SCHRITT07
After 4 hours total, lift out the bones and discard. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot. Stir in fish sauce, rock sugar, and salt. Taste — it should be deeply savoury, faintly sweet, gently spiced. Adjust with more salt or fish sauce.
- SCHRITT08
Soak the bánh phở in warm water 20 minutes, then drop into boiling water for 30 seconds — they should be just slippery, with a little chew. Divide between 4 deep bowls.
- SCHRITT09
Top each bowl of noodles with thinly sliced sliced brisket and a fan of raw eye round. Scatter sliced onion, scallion whites, and a pinch of white pepper. Ladle boiling broth over — it should cook the rare beef from red to just pink in seconds.
- SCHRITT10
Top with scallion greens and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges, sliced chili, and chili sauce — Hanoi-style, no hoisin or sriracha squiggles. Each diner adjusts as they like.
Make ahead
Make the broth a day ahead and refrigerate overnight. The fat solidifies on top — easy to spoon off for a cleaner second-day broth. Reheat to a rolling simmer before serving.
Storage
Strained broth keeps 5 days in the fridge or 3 months frozen. Cooked noodles do not store — soak fresh each time.
Variations
Saigon-style (phở Sài Gòn)
Sweeter broth (add 50% more rock sugar). Garnishes include bean sprouts, Thai basil, culantro. Hoisin and sriracha appear at the table. Different soup but legitimately Vietnamese.
Phở gà
Chicken broth: simmer a whole chicken + bones with the same aromatics for 90 minutes. Skip beef. Garnish with shredded poached chicken.
Faster (90-minute pho)
Use 1 kg oxtail + beef stock; simmer 90 minutes only. Not as deep, still satisfying mid-week.
Serve with
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.
Häufige Fragen
Can I shortcut with beef stock?
You can — use 3 L stock plus 1 kg bones simmered for 90 minutes with charred aromatics. The result is good. The proper 4-hour version is meaningfully better but takes the time it takes.
Why no hoisin in Hanoi-style?
Hoisin and sriracha at the table is a Southern/American addition. Hanoi-style is broth-forward — diners adjust with lime, salt, fresh chili, and fish sauce only. Both styles are correct; this recipe is the Northern one.
How do I get my broth that golden-clear colour?
Two things: (1) blanch the bones thoroughly so the simmer stays clean, and (2) maintain a low simmer with no hard boiling. Vigorous boiling emulsifies fat into the broth and turns it cloudy.
Can I use a slow cooker?
Yes — char and blanch as written, then transfer to a slow cooker for 8 hours on low. Slightly less depth than stovetop but very convenient.
What's the right noodle?
Dried bánh phở (medium-width flat rice noodles) sold in any Vietnamese or Asian grocer. Fresh phở noodles (sometimes available refrigerated) are even better — just blanch 15 seconds.
Cooked this? Rate it.
Real ratings from real cooks. We only show a score once enough of you have weighed in — no fabricated stars.