Pho Bo

So one of the things I really wanted to do in Vietnam, besides eat the food, was to learn how to cook the food (so I can eat it later). We took a cooking class where I learned to make Pho Bo from scratch, and they also gave us a little cookbook with various other classic Vietnamese dishes. I'm going to experiment with these in the coming weeks and will report back my findings. But it was really just getting out there and seeing and tasting the food that has inspired me. I am dying to make Banh Mi, but I face the challenge of not only making the meat but also the bread itself. I have yet to find acceptable bread of any kind in Manila, and I.have.looked!! So, I've come to realize that if I'm ever going to have bread that doesn't make me gag while posted here, I'm just going to have to make it myself. There's that tiny little problem of me sucking ass at baking, but my older sister* swears it's not that hard once you get the hang of it. And I am always drooling over her fb pics...*sigh* Wish me luck! In the meantime, here's the recipe for Pho Bo**:

Broth
500g  fresh rice noodles
300g  beef bones
150g  beef butt
150g  daikon or white radish
10g  shallots
10g  ginger
1  star anise (whole)
1  cinnamon stick
1  black cardamon (whole)
5g  whole cloves

Fresh Herbs
Mint leaves
Coriander
Basil
Saw tooth herb (please don't ask me what this is outside of Asia)
Cumin
Bean sprouts
Spring onion

On the Side
Fish sauce
Bird's eye chili
Black pepper
Chili Sauce (like Sriracha)
Black bean sauce
Lime

Roast the ginger and shallots, then place them in a cheesecloth along with the other broth spices and tie well. Boil beef bones in 2 liters of water for about 1 hour, then add the cheesecloth and simmer for another 1/2-1 hour. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar to your taste.*** Set aside the broth.

Place rice noodles and bean sprouts in a mesh encasement and submerge in boiling water for about 30 seconds. Divide into individual bowls. Top the noodles with slices of beef, onion, and whatever amount/mixture of fresh herbs you prefer. Pour soup over top (the heat of the broth will cook the meat). Add in any amount of on the side mix-ins you prefer, and voila Pho!!


Sounds delicious does it not. But, Pu, you say. WTF? I don't live in Asia. Where the fuck am I going to saw tooth herb and whole corianders? So, I feel your pain. Also, seriously wtf yourself 'cause I live in Asia and yet in Manila it is so much easier to order things online than traipse all over town and fight the traffic/parking to find the various ingredients. Sad. Anyways, here's a few interwebs spots I like to hit up to find my various ingredients. Hope you find them useful.

efooddepot = OMG happy, happy, love, love! Sooo happy! Like, if rainbows and unicorns had panda babies happy. And they ship to DPO no probs!

Asian Food Grocer - Big selection, specializing in Japanese items. These guys supply DeCA, so they're very DPO friendly and their shipping rate maxes out at $12.95 for larger shipments, which is pretty competitive.

Thai Supermarket  - despite its name, this site sells all kinds of goodies from all over Asia. Also ships to DPO, but they charge a flat rate fee + extra by ounce, so the shipping can get a bit high if you're not careful.

Yollie's Oriental Market - Willing to ship anywhere (and charge you for it!), this site gets bonus points for its balikbayan boxes! Plus they carry a wide variety of products (not just food stuffs).

The Wok Shop - buy all the cooking gear you want!


*who inherited my mom's baking gene. bitch. 
**sorry for the metric measurements, ya'll. That's what happens when you live overseas! :( 
***In our cooking class they actually added additional beef bouillon granules and some other "seasoning powder" which we suspected was likely MSG. You can add these or not as you prefer. I have made this recipe as is, and I didn't find that I needed those additional ingredients.