Read Kim Vu's Preface to this Recipe

Ingredients:

4 lbs. of beef marrow bones (sawed into smaller pieces)
1 oxtail (also sawed into small pieces)
2 lbs. of lean filet mignon (ask the butcher to cut it into paper thin cross sectional slices)
3 lbs. of beef brisket or stewing beef
2 packages of dried flat rice noodles (banh pho)
2 large white onions
4-inch piece of fresh ginger root
2 whole star anises
2- inch cinnamon stick
scallions, cilantro, fresh basil, lime
1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar
pepper, hoisin sauce, spiracha chili sauce

• Wash bones thoroughly with warm water.

• Fill a 15-qt pot with approximately 5 to 6 quarts of water.

• Add bones to boiling water and cook until foam starts to appear on surface of water.

• Remove pot from heat; discard water, and drain bones of liquid.

• Fill pot with fresh water and bring water to a boil.

• Keep removing the foam that rises to the top for the next 15 minutes.

• Reduce heat and cook bones and beef brisket on low heat.

• Roast 1 onion and ginger over stovetop for 10 minutes or in oven for 30 minutes or until they turn brown.

• Add onion, ginger, cinnamon, star anises, salt and sugar into the soup pot.

• Cook on low heat with pot covered until bones are soft, approximately 2.5 hours.

• Add salt and sugar to taste.

• Strain broth to remove bones and beef briskets.

• Slice onions, scallions and cilantro into thin slices.

• Bring water to a boil in a large soup pot (2qt size).

• Add 1 package of noodles.

• Add a pinch of salt.

• Cook until noodles are white, soft and chewy. Cooking time will depend on the brand of noodles.

• Drain noodles in strainer and let noodles dry.

• In a large soup bowl, place in order: bean sprouts, noodles, raw beef slices, fresh scallions, cilantro, and sliced onions.

• Pour boiling broth over all ingredients in bowl. The boiling broth should cook the raw beef.

• Add lime juice, hoisin sauce, spiracha chili sauce, fish sauce, fresh basil and thorny cilantro ngo gai as desired.

• Stir to mix all ingredients in bowl.

• Enjoy!

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