apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

So this weekend I'm going to attempt to make my own pho at home! After months of thinking about it and researching I finally found a recipe for it that I can handle, and a GREAT market for the ingredients. I gots all the stuff....but I'm still intimidated by the making of the stock. I've never made my own stock before. I'll be using oxtails and beef soup bones, and feel like I understand the process. But I'm scared I'll screw it up somehow.

Anyone ever made pho before? Any tips would be appreciated!

I've never done it, Bx, but I'd like to hear how it goes. I'm stock-phobic and the leftovers from roasted chickens are not going to make it much longer in my freezer!

I've never made Pho before, but don't be intimidated by making stock, it's easy to do and once you get it going your work is practically all done!! Do share on how you got on with the whole meal though :)

I tried it once. To get a clear stock, blanch the stock bones and ox tail in boiling water for a few minutes. Remove the bones from the blanched liquid (discard) and give the bones a quick rinse before starting your stock in a new batch of water- that way, you get a clear broth.

And make lots - you can always freeze it!

Good luck!

bx, do share your recipe if it turns out to be good. i love pho and there isn't any near me, so i'm gonna have to make it if i want it.

On a different note, I've got a food-safety sort of question:

Friday I defrosted some soft-shell crab. As of now (early saturday evening) I haven't been able to cook them.

Think they'll make it till tomorrow?

renata,
Perhaps. I realize that's a ridiculous answer to get, but I find that seafood tends to tell you when it's no good. If it smells the slightest bit off when you go to cook it...dump it. But it might not....

My PHO report!

All went fairly well! It turned out VERY good but still not as good as what we usually get at our local pho hut.

Making the stock wasn't nearly as labor-intensive nor complicated as I thought it would be, but it does take a gentle hand and some time. Skimming the fat was the hardest part; I wanted to leave a tiny bit but it was hard to judge what that was. Also, if you've never cooked rice stick noodles before it's easy to get into trouble if you try to be a cowboy and do it any other way than what's correct (so sayeth she who ruined the first batch).

The recipe I used is from a wonderful book called "Look and Cook Asian Cooking" from a series by Anne Willan. It's an idiot-style, step-by-step, gorgeous photograph-by-photograph guide to cooking Asian stuff that includes shopping lists, glossaries, and reasonable substitutes. I'm not new to cooking but pretty shaky about Asian. So this book is perfect. There's a recipe for mango sticky rice I'm going to try next!

The moral of the story is, do not fear the stock! It's an easier process if you have the right ingredients, the time, good music and a little wine. Stay tuned for the recipe......

K here it is, as best as I could adapt it for y'all without the lovely photos from the book. If you can get your hands on a copy of it, I HIGHLY recommend it, it's so awesome. Especially if you're chicken of cooking ethnic at home.
----------------------------
INGREDIENTS: (Stock)
3lb oxtail cut up, 2 lb beef soup bones cut up, 3 quarts or more H2O, 1 large onion, 2 inch piece fresh ginger root, 3 shallots, 4 star anise (whole), 1 cinnamon stick, 3 cloves (whole).
INGREDIENTS: (Noodles and toppings)
1/2 lb. dried rice stick noodles (1/4 inch width), 2 cups bean sprouts, 2 scallions, 1/2 lb. beef tenderloin, 1 lime, 1 fresh hot pepper, 1/4 cup fish sauce, cilantro, sriacha hot sauce and/or hoisin sauce.
----------------------------
Make the stock 1st: Oxtail and bones in pot, H2O to cover. Bring to boil, simmer 10 minutes. Drain in colander and rinse with cold H2O. Rinse pot too. Add the 3 qts. H2O, cover and bring to boil. Heat your broiler. Cut onions, shallots and ginger into chunks, all with skin on. Broil on high for 3 or 4 minutes, turn, and do 3 or 4 minutes on other side. Add these broiled bits to the boiling stock pot, along with anise, cinnamon stick and cloves. Cover, turn down heat & simmer 3-4 hours. Add more H2O to keep bones covered if necessary. Skim off fat a few times.

Lift out oxtail pieces with slotted spoon and set aside. Cool for a bit then remove meat from oxtail bones and set aside. Return oxtail bones to pot and simmer one more hour. Strain the whole mess through a colander lined with a clean cheesecloth (I used a thin, clean white cotton dishcloth) and into a bowl. Skim off as much fat as you want, and taste it. Add salt if you think it needs it. Set it aside. You should have about 2 quarts.
--------------------------------
Up next: Rice sticks, meat and toppings!

K I'm back with PHINISHING the PHO PHINALE!

(Anyway.......)
-------------------------
Put the rice stick noodles into a bowl and cover with warm water. Let soak til soft, about 20 mins. During this time, pick over and wash your bean spouts, pick and wash cilantro, slice lime into wedges, de-seed & cut your hot pepper into thin strips, and chop scallions into small pieces.
-------------------------
BEEF:
Cut the tenderloin against the grain into VERY thin slices. (I froze mine for about 30 minutes and had a super-sharp knife, made it WAY easier). Cover and refrigerate until ready to assemble soup.
--------------------------
ASSEMBLY:
Add the reserved oxtail meat and fish sauce to the stock and bring to a boil. Also bring a big pot of H2O to a boil for the noodles. (This is where I screwed up! So be careful). Add your pre-soaked noodles to the boiling water and bring to boil again. As SOON AS IT STARTS BOILING again, drain them immediately. Use a fork to carefully divide the noodles into 4 big soup bowls.

Top the noodles with a layer of bean sprouts, raw beef slices and scallions. Carefully ladle some of the boiling stock with oxtail meat over the contents of each bowl. The boiling stock will cook the beef slices just right. Serve right away with all the pho phixins: lime wedges, hot pepper strips, extra bean sprouts, cilantro, sriacha, hoisin sauce, and maybe some thai basil if you have it.

YUM! Good luck to you if you try it! It was a blast and very tasty.