"Real Deal" Beef Pho Noodle Soup

My "Real Deal" Beef Pho Noodle Soup replicates the rich, savory broth that is the hallmark of authentic Vietnamese pho. 

If you follow my Instagram feed, you'll know that I'm obsessed with pho. You could say that I have a phobsession. Ba damp bamp.

I have been on a years-long quest to replicate the delicious, rich beef broth that I've enjoyed in pho joints all over the U.S.

Through that research, I think I've come pretty close to nailing an authentic beef pho broth flavor.

Granted, the ultimate test will be when I go to Vietnam and taste the pho straight from the source. I'll keep you posted on what I find!

This recipe lends itself to a weekend project because you really need a long slow-cook to get that rich, flavorful pho broth. The good news is that most of the cook time is hands-off.

Another Asian recipe we absolutely love is Butter Chicken. You'll agree it is better than what you get eating out...even at Indian restaurants.

How do I make authentic beef pho broth?

Meat and bones

You need beef bones. About 5 pounds' worth.

If you make prime rib or ribeye steak, save the bones. They have tons of flavor.

I spoke with some Vietnamese chefs and learned that a mix of oxtails, beef back ribs, and shanks gives the best results. Knuckle bones are also good.

I also add a good piece of chuck roast, but you can also use brisket.

Then, I pull it out after about 8 hours of cooking and then add it back to the final soup.

Aromatics, herbs, and spices

Charred aromatics are key to building a complex pho broth.

Slice a section of ginger root in half and put it on a cookie sheet along with some slices of onion. Then, set them under the broiler until a nice char develops.

I like to add anise, bay leaf, black peppercorns, cinnamon stick, and fennel seed to the broth. Before adding, I give them a light toast in a dry skillet until fragrant.

Other flavor-building additions

A couple of tablespoons of palm sugar boosts the flavor of the beef pho broth. 

I've learned from my chef conversations that the secret ingredient may just be some MSG (monosodium glutamate).

However, I prefer to add fish sauce and/or Maggi seasoning sauce, which contains natural glutamates from yeast fermentation. It's umami dynamite.

Making authentic Beef Pho Noodle Soup

I'm a big fan of doing this entire soup production in the Instant Pot. The saute and slow-cooker functions mean that I can do it all in the same vessel. 

Pre-boiling the bones and meat

First, it's important to boil the bones and chuck roast for about 20 minutes to remove impurities (using the saute function on high).

You'll understand why when you see the scum that forms on the surface. It's gross. And it will ruin the flavor of your broth.

After the 20-minute boil, rinse the bones well and wipe or scrape off any nasty goobers you find. Next, rinse and wipe out the Instant Pot insert and replace in the cooker.

Finally, discard the boiling liquid—this was simply prep for the real broth.

Slow-cooking the bone broth

To make the broth, first add the cleaned bones and chuck roast back to the Instant Pot.

Cover with water. Next, add the charred aromatics, the herbs and spices, sugar, and fish sauce and/or Maggi seasoning sauce.

Then, close up the Instant Pot and slow cook on low for 20 hours.

Remove the chuck roast after 8 hours. Keep it in an airtight container covered in water and a splash (½ tbsp) of rice vinegar. 

After the 20 hour slow-cook, set a colander into a bowl.

Next, using a spider skimmer, remove the solids and place them in the colander.

Then, rinse them with a few cups of water (e.g., 4 cups maximum—the purpose is to get every last bit of goodness from the solids).

Finally, add the runnings (rinsing liquid) to the broth in the Instant Pot.

For the fully authentic beef pho experience, pull the meat and tendon off of the bones. Reserve in the refrigerator with the chuck roast.

Finishing the pho broth

The cheffy way to strain bone broth is to run it through some cheesecloth set into a strainer. Several times.

Personally, I find it much easier—and perfectly acceptable—to hold a fine-mesh skimmer over my fat separator.

I run a ladle at a time of bone broth through the skimmer and into the fat separator (see #8 in the collage below, or watch my video in the recipe card!).

Then I repeat until I've strained and de=greased all the broth (discard the fat.)

Simmering and finishing the beef pho

After giving the insert of the Instant Pot another rinse, add the broth back and use the saute function to simmer the broth.

Add in sliced onions and mushrooms along with cilantro stems (unless you're a genetic cilantro hater).

Finally, during the last 5 minutes, add sliced straw mushrooms (optional).

Meats

Remove your chuck roast from the refrigerator, along with any tendon or meat from the simmered bones.

Slice the chuck roast across the grain ~¼" thick.

We just LOVE using leftover smoked brisket in this pho.

We add thin slices of good sirloin steak or even ribeye to the final soup.

Because you want the meat sliced very thin (you want the hot broth to cook it to medium-rare), I recommend freezing it for about 20 minutes. Then, slice it across the grain about ⅛" thick.

Alternatively, this would be an excellent way to use up leftovers from Date Night Prime Rib!

Garnishes for beef pho

While the soup simmers, prepare your garnishes.

Basil is a must: preferably Thai basil (though regular will work in a pinch). Simply wash the basil and gently pull the whole leaves off the stem.

Sliced scallions, sliced jalapeños, mung bean sprouts, and lime wedges are also all traditional garnishes.

These all continuously flavor the pho broth as you eat—like a scrumptious tea!

I'd also recommend my Quick Nuoc Cham Sauce.

Arrange the garnishes on a platter next to the sauces: in addition to nuoc cham, we like to add sriracha and hoisin sauce.

Finally, prepare the noodles according to the package directions.

You want dried rice stick noodles (I prefer medium width; also called banh pho). You can usually find these in your supermarket's ethnic foods aisle and definitely at an Asian grocery.

Assembling the bowls of beef pho noodle soup

Into each bowl, add some cooked and drained noodles, chuck roast, raw, sliced steak, and reserved tendon and meat (if using) as you like.

Next, ladle the hot broth directly over the raw steak: you should see it turning opaque. (The steak will cook rare to medium rare depending on the thickness of your slices.

If you don't feel comfortable using raw steak, simply cook it part way through in a skillet with some vegetable oil before adding it to your bowl.

Then, continue adding as much broth as you like (you'll probably fill your bowl at about 2 cups).

Tear basil leaves right into your bowl. Add additional garnishes as you like.

Finally, squeeze some lime juice over the top and finish with nuoc cham, sriracha, and hoisin sauce. Enjoy!

Be sure to check out my other pho recipes: Instant Pot Vegetable Pho Noodle Soup, Slow-Cooker Duck Pho, Slow-Cooker Rotisserie Chicken Pho Ga, and Pressure-Cooker Pho Ga (Chicken Pho). Also stay tuned for an easy version of beef pho!

Stay safe. Stay well.

—xoxo Michelle

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