Beef Vietnamese Pho

A weekend of final summer picnics and just being. We ate well, too well taking regular pauses for cake and hot coffee and by Sunday night I felt like slurping cleansing pho. 

Beef Vietnamese Pho 

2 litres hot beef stock

4cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced

1 star anise

1 cinnamon stick

5 cloves

5 tbsp fish sauce

1 hot red chilli, finely sliced

225g rice noodles

400g rump or sirloin steak

Large handful each of beansprout

100g mange tout, finely sliced

Chopped fresh coriander

Fresh Thai basil

1 Pour 2 litres good-quality fresh beef stock into a pan and dilute with cold water to taste. Add the ginger, star anise, cinnamon stick, cloves, fish sauce and the finely sliced red chilli. Bring the broth to the boil, then simmer over a low heat for 30 minutes.

2 Meanwhile empty the dry noodles into large bowl and pour over boiling water. Allow them to sit for 3-4 minutes. Then drain.

3 Add the beef to the beef broth and allow it to poach for 2-3 minutes.

4 Empty a portion of noodles in the bottom of a large bowl. Add the sliced mange tout and beansprouts and ladle over the beef broth. Garnish to taste with fresh thai basil, coriander and sliced red chili.