Beef Pho

Hearty beef dinner.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Restaurant-quality Vietnamese soup at home.
• Restorative when you're sick or cold.
• Customizable with toppings at the table.
• Naturally gluten-free.
• Broth freezes beautifully.

Ingredient Notes

• Star anise + cinnamon + cloves is the unmistakable pho spice profile. Don't skip any.
• Fish sauce gives the umami depth (it doesn't taste fishy in the soup).
• Wide flat rice noodles (banh pho) are essential — vermicelli is too thin.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Chicken broth + chicken thighs for pho ga (chicken pho).
• Vegetable broth + mushrooms + tofu for vegetarian (skip fish sauce, use soy).
• Pre-cooked thinly sliced brisket if raw beef makes you nervous.

Equipment Needed

• Large pot or Dutch oven (6+ quart)
• Tongs
• Cast-iron skillet or open flame for charring
• Mesh strainer
• Sharp knife
• 4 deep soup bowls

Prep Tips

• Slice beef while partially frozen — paper-thin slicing depends on it.
• Prep all the toppings in small bowls so dinner is a build-your-own bar.

Instructions

1. 1

   Gather and prep: 1 lb ground beef, 1 cup rice noodles, 1 cup beef broth, 1 medium onion, diced, 1 ginger, 1 star anise, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 lime (for juice). dice the onion, and grate the ginger before you start cooking.

2. 2

   Char onion and ginger, simmer in broth with spices 45 min.

3. 3

   Cook noodles.

4. 4

   Bowl noodles, raw beef slices.

5. 5

   Pour hot broth over to cook, garnish. Pull beef at 130°F for medium-rare or 140°F for medium; rest 5 minutes, then slice against the grain.

Artsi Pro Tips

• Charring the onion and ginger is the entire flavor backbone. Skip and you have plain beef soup.
• Slice the beef PAPER-thin while partially frozen. Thicker slices won't cook in the broth.
• The broth should be near boiling when ladled over the raw beef — otherwise the beef stays under-temped.

Common Mistakes

• Skipping the char — broth tastes flat without it.
• Beef sliced too thick, leaving raw spots in the bowl.
• Lukewarm broth — has to be 200°F to cook the beef.

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