Hanoi Beef and Rice Noodle Soup (Pho Bo)

Cooking Light.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• Broth

• 3  lbs  beef  oxtails
• 3⁄4 cup  thinly sliced fresh ginger (about 3 ounces)
• 2⁄3 cup  coarsely chopped shallot (about 3 medium shallots)
• 5  quarts water
• 4  cups  coarsely chopped daikon radishes (about 1 pound)
• 2  tablespoons sugar
• 3  tablespoons Thai fish sauce (such as Three Crabs)
• 1  teaspoon  white peppercorns
• 5  whole cloves
• 2  star anise
• 1  large yellow onion, peeled and quartered
• 1  cinnamon stick

• Remaining ingredients

• 2  cups  vertically sliced onions
• 12  ounces  wide stick  rice noodles (banh pho)
• 2  cups fresh bean sprouts
• 12  ounces eye of round roast, trimmed and cut into 1/16-inch slices
• 2  cups cilantro leaves
• 1  cup Thai basil
• 4  Thai red chili peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
• 8  lime wedges
• 1  tablespoon hoisin sauce (optional)

Directions

1. To prepare broth, heat a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add oxtail, ginger, and shallots; sauté 8 minutes or until ginger and shallots are slightly charred.
2. Add water and next 8 ingredients (through cinnamon stick); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 4 hours. Strain broth through a sieve into a large bowl; discard solids.
3. Return broth to pan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook until reduced to 10 cups (about 30 minutes).
4. Skim fat from surface; discard fat. Keep warm.
5. To prepare remaining ingredients, add sliced onion to broth. Place noodles in a large bowl, and cover with boiling water.
6. Let stand 20 minutes. Drain. Place 1/3 cup bean sprouts in each of 6 soup bowls.
7. Top each serving with 1 1/3 cup noodles and 2 ounces eye-of-round.
8. Carefully ladle 1 2/3 cups boiling broth over each serving (boiling broth will cook the meat). Serve with cilantro, basil, chiles, limes, and hoisin, if desired.