Pho With Smoked Bone Broth And Leftover Brisket

[klflowers]

I certainly hope so.

[Willy]

Meathead And why do Filipinos live in the Philippines?

[Meathead]

And why do we call Deutschland Germany? And Firenze Florence? And pronounce Cairo Illinois kayro?

[Meathead]

Am I gonna live long enuf to write it?

[Willy]

So, my beef (pun intended) is this: Since the Vietnamese apparently pronounce the word as "fuh", why do we spell it as "pho", which would sound like "foe"? We do this so often with Asian words: Beijing" vs "Peking" for example? What gives? Does some whiz out the get it?

[Strat50]

I totally agree with you about chasing authenticity too far. As in any "ethnic" cuisine, it's more about using what you have on a daily basis and turning those things into something wonderful than it is making a huge production over using leftovers.

[Strat50]

Thanks for the heads up. I had a bit of a senior moment...
The ingredients listed were common to both restaurants mentioned, but yes, variations are legion. Lemon grass, kafir lime leaf, mint(especially for chicken Pho), roasted chilies(try this one, both hot or mild), diakon or korean radish, etc.
I amended the recipe in paragraph 4 to include garlic.
Thanks for the kind words.

[Meathead]

I have a whole section of the book devoted to the false goal of authenticity. Suffice it to say that in a book focusing on art, creativity is mor important to me.

[fzxdoc]

Along with the star anise per Meathead, you'll need 3 cinnamon sticks, 3 or 4 whole cardamom pods(or 1-1/2 Tblsp. cardamom seeds), 2 tsp. white peppercorns, about 4oz. galangal or ginger, 4 big shallots, and 1 big onion sliced in 1/4's, and 2.

Nice to hear from you again, Strat50 . It's been a while. It's always good to read your Chef's-Eye-View. I imagine there are as many ways to make Beef Pho as there are to fry up a chicken in the South.

Question: is there something that should follow the "2" in the 4th paragraph of your post?

*******************

Meathead , thanks for the great-looking recipe. You've got my Beef Pho engines fired up now. Perfect food for the season's cool days and cold nights. And thanks for sharing it with us Pit members first. I like being an early adopter of your recipes.

Great photo too!

Kathryn

[Strat50]

Okay, I'll chime in here. We have a few good Pho places near me, and I know and collaborate professionally with a couple of the owner/operators. They gave me the skinny on how to make the real deal. They also gave me some Thai chili plants, along with lemongrass and kafir lime, but that's another story...lol ( think pizza and BBQ...lol)

Let's use Meathead's recipe and proportions therein for a guide to do what the pros do to make a traditional Pho broth, but with our "Q" sensibilities added. I've made dozens of batches of Pho and the above restaurant owners, as well as my chef friends think it's spot on, so...Here Goes..

As JGrana correctly stated above, one simmers the bones briefly, then washes and scrubs well in cold water. Then smoke along with the veg per Meathead. This simmering step is crucial to getting a clear stock, but more importantly, getting that deep, complex beef and bone flavor. I used to have to do this step, back in the day, when we made fine demi-glace, so this is nothing new.Where the real difference in getting that Pho flavor lies in the spicing and treatment of those spices and adjuncts.

Along with the star anise per Meathead, you'll need 3 cinnamon sticks, 3 or 4 whole cardamom pods(or 1-1/2 Tbsp. cardamom seeds), 2 tsp. white peppercorns, about 4oz. galangal or ginger, 4 big shallots, and 1 big onion sliced in 1/4's, and 2 whole heads of garlic cut in half crosswise.

The star anise, cardamom, cinnamon, and white pepper should be toasted in a dry pan, then set aside. The galangal, shallots, and onion, should be charred over open flame till well blackened. The toasted spices and charred stuff will be added when the stock is put on the stove. Do not peel, as with a 5 hour cook, the char flavors will mellow into a deep flavor.

Follow recipe till stock is done. Now we'll add some traditional sides to complete the Pho. You'll need Thai(or other) basil sprigs, cilantro sprigs, bean sprouts, lime wedges, and hoisin sauce. Chopped hot peppers complete the sides. chili oil works well too.

I hope this helps everyone who is interested. Good cooking and greetings from Houston, Alaska...

[Huskee]

If Meathead keeps this up we might have to award him a Hits From The Pit feature and give him a free memebrship....

[JGo37]

I'm sure this will become one of my favorites, as Pho already is. I'll post my effort on this soon, and just to shake things up I'll take shots of mine with a cell phone...

[Sweaty Paul]

Wowsers! Looks delicious. Want to cool a brisket now to start the process.

[JGrana]

I have watched a few Pho YouTube videos. They like to boil the bones/veggies for a little while then strain and rinse. They like to strive for a clear broth and this pre-boil/rinse is supposed to help.

I haven't done this yet. I do have some marrow bones and brisket in the freezing waiting for the right time.

[klflowers]

Am I going to live long enough to cook all of this?