Beef Hanoi Soup (By Bill S)

Beef Hanoi Soup

Pho Bo Ha Noi

As you might expect, there is also a Saigon Soup.  However, this is simply a reflection of the pride each region takes in its own specialties.  Hanoi Soup has always been a dish of the North.  Typically eaten for breakfast (and a hearty breakfast it is!), Hanoi Soup will also be seen on many a luncheon or dinner restaurant menu as well.  There are many “breakfast only” restaurants that specialize in Hanoi Soup.  Whenever it is served, it constitutes the complete meal.

8 servings

9 cups water	1 large onion
1 ½ pound oxtail, chopped into 12-inch     pieces, or 2 pounds of beef bones	4 ounces bean sprouts
1 pound beef chuck, in 1 chunk	½ pound beef shoulder roast or round, in 1 chunk
1 2-inch chunk fresh ginger root	½ pound rice sticks (“Banh pho” noodles)
3 shallots	¼ cup fish sauce (“Nuoc mam”)
2 pieces of star anise	1 tsp salt
1 finger-size stick cinnamon (optional)	dash of MSG (optional)
¼ cup fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped	½ fresh lime, sliced in 4 wedges
¼ cup scallion greens, chopped	½ fresh hot red pepper, sliced horizontally in thin rings

1.     Bring 9 cups of water to a boil.  Drop in the oxtail and chuck.  Return to boil for 10 minutes, removing the scum several times.  Meanwhile, impale the chunk of ginger root on a fork and hold it over a flame until it is blackened.  Do the same with the shallots.  Add both to the broth, together with the star anise and cinnamon, and cover.  Simmer for 1 ½ hours.

 

2.     While the soup is simmering, chop the cilantro and scallion greens together; place in a bowl.  Slice the onion paper thin and place in another bowl.  

3.     Blanch the bean sprouts in boiling water for 30 seconds, then remove from pan. 

4.     Slice the raw round or shoulder roast into paper thin slices (about 3 x 4 inches). 

5.     About 20 minutes before serving bring 3 quarts of water to a boil and add the rice sticks.  Boil for 5 minutes, then drain in a colander and run cold water over it.  Set aside the noodles until you are ready to assemble the soup.

6.     After the soup has cooked for about 1 ½ hours, remove the chuck and oxtail, making sure they are tender.  If they are not quite ready, return to the soup and cook a little longer.  After you have removed the meat from the soup, add the fish sauce, salt, and MSG to the soup. 

7.     To assemble and serve the soup, distribute the noodles among the bowls, 1 bowl for each guest.  Slice the cooked chuck; remove the meat from the oxtail bones.  Distribute the cooked chuck and oxtail meat over the noodles, then distribute the raw beef slices among the bowls.  Add half of the onion slices, a few of the bean sprouts, and sprinkle with the combined cilantro and scallion greens. 

8.     Immediately prior to serving, add boiling broth to cover the ingredients in each bowl.  This will cook the raw beef. 

9.     At the table, serve a platter consisting of the remaining bean sprouts and onions, the lime wedges, and the hot pepper rings.  Serve additional fish sauce for those who prefer a saltier taste.  A squeeze of lime can be added to the soup, as well as additional vegetables from the platter, when desired.

 

NOTE

This can be cooked a day ahead.  The meat, wrapped in foil and the broth should be stored separately in the refrigerator and assembled before serving time.  Reheat the meat slightly in the oven before assembling.