Anise Scented Beef Pho Food

BEEF PHO

Steps:

• Place the beef knuckle in a very large (9 quart or more) pot. Season with salt, and fill pot with 2 gallons of water. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 2 hours.
• Skim fat from the surface of the soup, and add the oxtail, radish and onions. Tie the anise pods, cinnamon stick, cloves, peppercorns and ginger in a cheesecloth or place in a spice bag; add to the soup. Stir in sugar, salt and fish sauce. Simmer over medium-low heat for at least 4 more hours (the longer, the better). At the end of cooking, taste, and add salt as needed. Strain broth, and return to the pot to keep at a simmer. Discard spices and bones. Reserve meat from the beef knuckle for other uses if desired.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Soak the rice noodles in water for about 20 minutes, then cook in boiling water until soft, but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Slice the frozen beef paper thin. The meat must be thin enough to cook instantly.
• Place some noodles into each bowl, and top with a few raw beef slices. Ladle boiling broth over the beef and noodles in the bowl. Serve with hoisin sauce and Sriracha sauce on the side. Set onion, cilantro, bean sprouts, basil, green onions, and lime out at the table for individuals to add toppings to their liking.

ANISE BEEF

Steps:

• 1. Use a cleaver to cut beef into 1-inch cubes. Place star anise and peppercorns on a 3-inch square of cheesecloth. Bring corners together and tie with kitchen twine.
• 2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over high heat for 1 minute. Stir fry garlic and ginger until garlic is golden, 30 seconds.
• 3. Add beef cubes. Stir fry until lightly browned about 2-3 minutes.
• 4. Add cheesecloth bag, wine, soy sauce, sugar and dried orange peel; mix well. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Add 2/3 cup water.
• 5. Reduce heat to low and cook 1 1/2 hours. Add carrot and continue cooking 45 minutes or until beef is very tender and carrot is cooked.
• 6. Remove cheesecloth bag and discard. Serve stew hot over rice.

AUTHENTIC PHO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Place beef bones on a baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven until browned, about 1 hour.
• Place onion on a baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven until blackened and soft, about 45 minutes.
• Place bones, onion, ginger, salt, star anise, and fish sauce in a large stockpot and cover with 4 quarts of water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer on low for 6 to 10 hours. Strain the broth into a saucepan and set aside.
• Place rice noodles in large bowl filled with room temperature water and allow to soak for 1 hour. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and after the noodles have soaked, place them in the boiling water for 1 minute. Bring stock to a simmer.
• Divide noodles among 4 serving bowls; top with sirloin, cilantro, and green onion. Pour hot broth over the top. Stir and let sit until the beef is partially cooked and no longer pink, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with bean sprouts, Thai basil, lime wedges, hoisin sauce, and chile-garlic sauce on the side.

ANISE-SCENTED BEEF PHO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350oF. Arrange onion quarters, rounded side down, and ginger pieces on small baking sheet. Roast until the onions begin to soften, about 25 minutes. Using kitchen scissors, snip off the darf edges. Toast star anise, cardamom pods, and cinnamon stick in small skillet over medium high heat until aromatic and slightly darker in color, stirring occasionaly, about 3 minutes.
• Bring broth, water and brisket to boil in large pot over high heat. Skim off foam that rises to the top. Add onions, ginger and spices to pot. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and gently simmer until brisket is tender, about 2 1/2 hours. Uncover; cool 1 hour. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Chill brisket in soup, uncovered.).
• Discard any fat from surface of the soup; rewarm the soup slightly. Using tongs, tranfer brisket to cutting board. Slice thinly across the grain. Strain the soup into a large bowl; discard the solids in strainer. Return soup to same pot; boil 10 minutes. Add fish sauce and sugar; season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low. Add brisket to soup and warm through.
• Meanwhile prepare the garnishes.
• Cook the rice noodles in medium pot of boiloing salted water until just tender; about 5 minutes.Drain.
• Divide noodles among the 6 bowls. Add brisket from soup, then onions, basil and chilies. Pour hot soup over. Serve with the remaining garnishes.

PRESSURE COOKER BEEF PHO

Steps:

• Rinse the bones and boneless beef. Peel and cut apple into chunks. Halve the large onion and cut into thick slices. Peel ginger, halve it lengthwise, cut into chunks, then smash each piece with the side of a knife.
• Put the star anise, cinnamon and cloves in an 8-quart pressure cooker. Over medium heat or using the sauté function, toast for several minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Add the onion and ginger. (If using a stove-top pressure cooker, raise heat to medium-high.) Stir and cook for a minute or two. A little browning is O.K. Add 9 cups water.
• Add the bones, beef, apple and salt. Lock the lid. If using a stovetop pressure cooker, raise heat to high and bring pressure to 15 p.s.i. Then reduce the heat to medium or medium-low. The pressure should be just high enough that a gentle, steady flow of steam comes out of the cooker's valve. Cook for 20 minutes. If using an electric pressure cooker, set timer for 30 minutes. After cooking, both cookers will require time to allow pressure to decrease naturally, about 15 to 20 minutes. When that is done, carefully remove lid.
• Transfer boneless meat to a bowl, cover with water and soak for 10 minutes. This cools it and keeps it from drying out. If desired, scrape any bits of tendon from the bones and add to the bowl of water.
• Strain the broth into a pot through a mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth or muslin. Discard the remaining solids. (At this point, the broth and beef can be cooled and refrigerated for up to 3 days.) Skim all but about 3 tablespoons of fat from the broth. You should have about 8 cups of broth. Add fish sauce and more salt, if needed. Add a few pinches of sugar and more fish sauce so the broth has a rounded, intense finish that is slightly salty and slightly sweet.
• Freeze the raw beef, if using, for 15 to 20 minutes, then slice very thinly across the grain. Cut cooked beef across the grain into very thin slices. Set aside.
• Cover the dried noodles in hot tap water and soak for 15 to 20 minutes, or until pliable and opaque. Drain, then rinse to remove starch.
• Thinly slice the small onion and soak in water 10 minutes. Slice green onions into thin rings and set aside with chopped cilantro. Arrange any optional add-ins on a plate.
• Bring the broth to a simmer over medium heat. At the same time, fill a pot with water and bring to a rolling boil. Dunk the noodles into the boiling water, using a noodle strainer or a mesh sieve, for about 15 to 20 seconds. Remove from water and divide noodles among 4 bowls.
• Top each bowl of noodles with cooked and raw beef, arranging the slices flat. Place a mound of onion in the center, then shower with green onion and cilantro. Finish with a sprinkle of black pepper. Give the boiling broth a final taste for seasoning. Ladle about 2 cups broth into each bowl, distributing the hot liquid evenly to warm all the ingredients.

BEEF PHO

Steps:

• Place the ginger, garlic, and shallot in a small non-stick frying pan over high heat and cook, turning, for 8-10 minutes or until charred. Transfer to a medium saucepan over high heat and add the stock, star anise, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until fragrant. Add the fish sauce and sugar and stir to dissolve. Strain the stock, discarding the solids, set aside and keep warm. Divide the noodles between serving bowls. Top with the onion and beef and ladle over the hot stock. Sprinkle with pepper and top with the sprouts, chile, basil and mint to serve.