Cooks Illustrated Vietnamese Style Beef Noodle Soup Recipes

Steps:

• Soak rice noodles in hot water to cover.
• Meanwhile, combine stock, star anise, cinnamon, ginger, onion and cloves in saucepan; turn heat to high. When mixture boils, turn heat to low, and cover. Let cook, undisturbed, for 20 minutes to 1 hour, depending on how much time you have (the longer the cooking, the deeper the flavor). Strain, and return to saucepan; turn heat to medium.
• Bring pot of water to boil. Drain noodles, add them to pot, and boil for 30 seconds; drain well. Warm 4 large bowls by filling them with hot water; discard water. Divide noodles among bowls.
• Turn heat under soup to medium, and add beef; stir once, and then turn off heat. (The meat is traditionally left rare; if you want to cook it more, go ahead, but these slices will cook through in less than 2 minutes.) Add fish sauce or soy sauce and plenty of pepper to the soup. Taste, and add salt or more seasoning, if necessary.
• Top noodles with broth and meat, and then bring to the table. Serve, passing lime wedges, scallions, chilies and herbs at the table, so that everyone can add them to taste.

Steps:

• Cook noodles in a 4-quart pot of boiling water (not salted) 4 minutes, then add snow peas and boil 1 minute. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water to stop cooking. Drain well. Divide noodles and snow peas among 4 large soup bowls.
• Cook shallots, ginger, and chile in oil in same pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until shallots are browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Add broth and water and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes.
• While broth is simmering, divide roast beef, bean sprouts, and herbs among soup bowls with noodles.
• Discard ginger from broth and stir in fish sauce, lime juice, and salt to taste. Ladle broth into bowls and serve immediately.

Steps:

• 1. Noodles: Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Off heat, add rice sticks, and let sit until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and distribute among four bowls. 2. Broth: Bring all ingredients to boil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer partially covered to blend flavors, about 20 minutes. Remove solids with slotted spoon and discard. Cover and keep hot over low heat until ready to serve. 3. Season steak with salt and pepper. Heat oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half of steak slices in single layer and sear until well-browned, 1 to 2 minutes on each side; set aside. Repeat with remaining slices. 4. Divide the noodles and sprouts among the bowls, (see illustrations below). 5. Add the steak, then ladle in the broth. 6. Sprinkle on the remaining ingredients and serve immediately, passing lime wedges separately. STEP BY STEP: Bruising the aromatics Using the handle or back of a chef's knife, smash the ginger, garlic, and lemon grass to release flavor. STEP BY STEP: Assembling the Soup 1. Divide the noodles and sprouts or cabbage among the bowls. 2. Add the meat, seafood, or chicken, then ladle in the broth. 3. Sprinkle on the herbs and other flavorings of choice. Red Chile Sauce: In a food processor, blender, or heavy mortar with a pestle, combine the chili with the salt and vinegar. Blend to a thick paste. Serve at room temperature, or cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 1 month. Cucumber Relish: In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. A few minutes before serving, add the cucumber, onion, and chile to the cooled vinegar mixture and toss well. Divide among 4 small dishes. Sprinkle each serving with peanuts, garnish with cilantro leaves, and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Combine beef, garlic, ginger, cinnamon and 2 quarts water. Bring to a boil, skim off scum. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently until meat is tender, about 45 minutes. Continue skimming and keeping level of liquid constant by replenishing with fresh water. Meanwhile, rinse and chop the cilantro. When meat is tender, remove garlic, cinnamon and ginger. Add noodles and simmer until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove soup from heat, stir in salt, lime juice, bean sprouts, pepper and cilantro. Adjust seasoning and serve piping hot.

Steps:

• For the beef stock: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add the oxtails, neck bones, and shank bones. Return the water to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Drain into colander and rinse the bones thoroughly under cold running water. Rinse the pot and return the oxtails, neck bones, and shank bones to the pot. Add water, slowly bring to a simmer, and cook for at least 6 hours. Meanwhile, roast the onion and ginger on a rimmed baking sheet for 40 minutes.
• Add the roasted onion and ginger to the simmering stock, along with the cinnamon, star anise, clove, cardamom pod, pepper, and palm sugar. Add the beef brisket and cook for 30-45 minutes; remove and allow the stock to continue to simmer, skimming off any scum that rises to the top. After 6-8 hours, remove pot from the heat and use a slotted spoon to discard the large solids. Strain the stock into soup pot through a fine-mesh sieve. (Note: To store, let cool completely; then transfer to airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Makes 6 quarts.)
• For the soup: Thinly slice the top round and use the back of your knife to tenderize the meat slices; set aside. Slice the cooked brisket against the grain in thin slices; set aside. Blanch the bean sprouts in hot water; set aside. Season the stock with a few pinches of salt and fish sauce to taste.
• Warm a serving bowl in hot water. Place the dried rice noodles in fine-mesh sieve; submerge the sieve in hot water and gently stir with tongs, 5-10 seconds. Place the cooked noodles in the warmed serving bowl. Top with brisket; then add a few slices of the top round and some chopped scallions and cilantro. Ladle the hot broth into the bowl, being careful not to submerge the top round. Serve immediately, accompanied by optional garnishes.

Steps:

• For Dam Toi, which is used as a garnish for northern style pho, in a small bowl, combine sliced garlic, 1 cup water and 3 teaspoons salt. Cover and refrigerate overnight; drain. In a small jar, combine sliced garlic and vinegar. Heat remaining 1 cup water until hot; add to jar. Stir in sugar, remaining 1 teaspoon salt and chiles. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight., In a large saucepan, cover beef bones with 2 liters water. Add 2 tablespoons salt and cider vinegar. In another large saucepan, cover boneless beef with remaining 1 liter water, remaining 2 tablespoons salt, wine and sliced ginger. Cover both saucepans and refrigerate 2 hours; drain (discarding ginger from boneless meat). Add enough cold water to each saucepan to cover bones and meat. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil 3 minutes; drain both saucepans and rinse bones and and boneless beef., Preheat oven to 425°. In a stockpot, cover bones and boneless beef with enough cold water to cover completely (about 5 liters). Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, skimming and discarding foam occasionally. Simmer until foam starts to collect more slowly, about 30 minutes., Meanwhile, arrange whole onion and whole ginger on an ungreased baking sheet. Roast until slightly charred, 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove and discard charred skins; set aside., In a dry small skillet, toast cinnamon sticks, anise, cardamom pods and coriander over medium heat until aromatic, 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. Cool. Place spices on a double thickness of cheesecloth. Gather corners of cloth to enclose spices; tie securely with string. , Once foam is no longer collecting on surface of broth, add onion and ginger and spice bag. Stir in salt, MSG if desired and rock sugar. Simmer, uncovered, until beef is tender, about 1-1/2 hours. With tongs, remove beef to a large bowl; cool slightly. Wrap beef tightly in foil and refrigerate. , Continue simmering broth, uncovered, until broth is light golden brown and fragrant, 2-5 hours, stirring occasionally and removing any foam that collects on the surface., To serve, cook Banh Pho according to package directions; set aside. Remove beef from refrigerator and thinly slice against the grain. For each serving, in a small colander, add an individual portion of noodles and beef. Lower colander into simmering broth until beef and noodles are heated through. Add beef and noodles to a serving bowl. Top with additional broth, about 1 cup. Serve with garnishes as desired.