Pho Soup For YOU!!!!!

My flock loves to eat Pho.  Well, at least 2 of us do.

I have wanted to try to make it for quite a while.

I looked at several recipes online and I used bits and pieces from a few.

First thing, first.  I took some soup bones and par boiled them.

This helps clean them so they don't cloud the broth.  Then I roasted them,

along with ginger and garlic cloves.

Spices are probably the key to Pho.  I used cinnamon sticks, anise seeds, coriander,

fennel seeds and some ground cardamon (too cheap to buy pods, as I don't use them much).

I toasted them until they started to smoke and release their oils.  

I wrapped it in some cheesecloth and plopped it in with the rest.

I chose to char the onions on the burner instead of in the

oven, so the onions would stand up a bit more.  The char here, and on

the bones, ginger and garlic are another key element for the flavor.

Add 6 quarts of water, bring to a boil, then simmer for 3-5 hours.

Skim any scum and fat that floats to the top.

You want a clear (not transparent) broth, like a consommé.

Here is what it looked like before I put it in the freezer to easily remove all the fat.

I thinly slice some sirloin steak and heated up some Hokkien stir-fry noodles.

To create the bowl, I added the noodles, then the raw steak.

Then I poured the hot broth over, and this is how the steak was cooked.

For the fixins, I chose cilantro, mint, basil, bean sprouts,

onions, red jalapeno and lime.

This is my bowl about halfway done.

This meal was so good, and the Dutchess suggested that

it may be my best yet.

Luckily there is another family meal or 2 worth of broth

that will go in the freezer.  I can try a different protein 

next time or different fixins.  The unami flavor was awesome!

Zac liked the noodles and the meat, but wasn't a fan of the broth.

Rookie!