Bà Ngoại's Phở Bò (Beef Pho)
Aromatic Vietnamese beef noodle soup with star anise and herbs. A treasured family recipe from Saigon to Cabramatta.
The Story Behind This Recipe
My grandmother's recipe from Saigon - Linh Nguyen
In Cabramatta, Sydney's Little Vietnam, my Bà Ngoại (grandmother) has been making phở since 1982, when she arrived as a refugee with my mother, then just twelve years old. They left Saigon with nothing but memories and my great-grandmother's recipes, committed to memory during those last desperate weeks before the fall of Saigon in 1975.
Bà Ngoại couldn't write the recipes down during their seven years in refugee camps - paper was precious, food was scarce. But every night, she would whisper the ingredients and techniques to my mother like bedtime stories. "Star anise, cinnamon, cardamom - these are the soul of phở," she'd say. "Without them, it's just soup."
When they finally reached Australia, one of the first things Bà Ngoại did was find Vietnamese ingredients in Cabramatta. She made her first pot of phở in their tiny flat in 1982, crying into the broth as the familiar smells transported her home. My mother says the apartment building filled with the aroma, and soon Vietnamese neighbors were knocking on the door, drawn by the scent of home.
The secret to great phở is the broth - simmered for hours until the bones release their essence, charred ginger and onion add sweetness and depth, and the spices create that unmistakable fragrance. Bà Ngoại would never rush it. "Quick phở is no phở," she'd insist. Even now, at 84, she still makes it every Sunday, and the family gathers around her table in Cabramatta, slurping noodles and sharing stories, connected to Vietnam through this bowl of soup.
"Every recipe tells a story, and every story brings us closer to the heart of home."
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Scaled Ingredients:
💡 Tip: Cooking times may need adjustment when scaling. Larger batches may take longer, smaller batches may cook faster.
Ingredients
For the Broth
For Serving
Pro Tips
- • The longer you simmer (up to 6 hours), the richer the broth. 3 hours is minimum for good flavor.
- • Freeze the raw beef sirloin for 30 minutes before slicing - it's much easier to get paper-thin slices.
- • Use wide rice noodles (bánh phở) specifically for phở - they're different from other rice noodles.
- • The broth should be boiling when you ladle it - this cooks the raw beef.
- • Don't skip charring the onions and ginger - it's essential for authentic flavor.
- • The broth can be made ahead and frozen in portions for up to 3 months.
- • Room temperature herbs are traditional - don't put the herb platter in the fridge.
Storage
Broth keeps refrigerated for 4 days or frozen for 3 months. Store noodles, herbs, and meat separately. Assemble fresh when ready to serve.
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the bones by parboiling them. Place beef bones in a large pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a rapid boil. Boil for 5 minutes - you'll see scum rise to the surface. Drain, rinse the bones under cold water, scrubbing off any scum. Rinse the pot thoroughly. This step removes impurities and gives you a clear broth.
10 minutes - 2
Char the onions and ginger for deep flavor. Heat a dry pan or use tongs over a gas flame. Char the onion halves and ginger pieces until blackened and fragrant - about 5 minutes. The charring adds a subtle smokiness and sweetness that's essential to authentic phở.
5 minutes - 3
Toast the spices to wake up their flavors. In a dry pan over medium heat, toast star anise, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom pods, and coriander seeds until fragrant - about 3-4 minutes. Be careful not to burn them. You'll smell that incredible aroma when they're ready.
4 minutes - 4
Build the broth. Return cleaned bones to the pot and add 5 liters of cold water. Add the charred onions and ginger, toasted spices, and the whole piece of brisket. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce to the gentlest simmer - just tiny bubbles breaking the surface.
- 5
Simmer the broth for 3-4 hours, skimming any scum that rises to the surface during the first hour. The longer it simmers, the richer the flavor. Add fish sauce, sugar, and salt after 2 hours. Don't cover completely - leave the lid slightly ajar so the broth stays clear.
4 hours - 6
After 1.5 hours, remove the brisket (it should be tender), let it cool, then slice thinly across the grain. Set aside covered. This will be one of your meat toppings. Continue simmering the bones for the remaining time.
1 hour 30 minutes - 7
While the broth simmers (final hour), prepare your garnishes. Wash and pick the herb leaves. Arrange Thai basil, coriander, mint, bean sprouts, lime wedges, and sliced chillies on a large platter. This is traditional - everyone customizes their own bowl.
- 8
When the broth is done, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve lined with muslin or cheesecloth into a clean pot. Discard the solids. Taste the broth and adjust with more fish sauce, salt, or sugar. It should taste rich, slightly sweet, aromatic, and well-seasoned.
- 9
Prepare the rice noodles according to package directions - usually soaking in hot water for 20-30 minutes until soft and pliable, then briefly blanching in boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain well and divide among six large bowls.
25 minutes - 10
Bring the strained broth back to a rolling boil. The boiling broth will cook the raw beef when poured over it. Meanwhile, arrange sliced cooked brisket and raw beef slices on top of the noodles in each bowl.
- 11
Ladle the piping hot broth over the noodles and meat. The raw beef slices should turn from red to pink-grey as the broth cooks them. Fill each bowl generously - the broth is the soul of phở.
- 12
Serve immediately with the herb and garnish platter. Each person adds their own Thai basil, coriander, mint, bean sprouts, lime juice, and chillies. Serve hoisin sauce and sriracha on the side. Bà Ngoại always says: 'Add herbs with your heart, not your head.'
Ingredient Substitutions
Nutrition Information
Per serving (approximate)
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