Bo Kho (Asian Beef Stew)

My beef stew is literally FINGER LICKIN' GOOD!!

Make it.

Smell it.

Taste it.

Love it.

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds of beef shank

1/2 pound of tendon

a couple of carrots cut into large chunks(maybe 1/2 pound to 1 pd)

1 stalk of lemongrass trimmed, bruised, and cut in half

4 cloves of chopped garlic

half of an onion(chopped)

2 tomatoes(I used tomatoes still on the vine)

2 cups of coconut juice/soda(no pulp)

2 T of ketchup

2 cubes of Bo Kho Seasoning

1/2 T of sugar

1 tsp of salt

1/4 cup of fish sauce

8 cups of water (or you may use all fresh coconut juice or mix in some of the broth used to simmer your beef shanks and tendon)

olive oil

For the red food coloring:

1 T of annatto seeds cooked on very low heat in a few Tbsp of vegetable oil(you may omit this step and use paprika instead)

Serving suggestions:

Thick Rice Noodles(follow cooking directions according to packaging)

Over Rice

Freshly baked french bread

Garnishes:

cilantro

parsley

chili peppers

 

DIRECTIONS:


1. Clean and rinse off your beef shanks. Cut your beef shanks into large pieces(about 1 1/2 inches wide). Beef shanks are really tough so you need to boil it for some time to help make it more tender.
2. Put your beef shank and tendon into a pot and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium to medium high heat and continue to keep at a rolling boil for 1-1 1/2 hrs. Make sure to keep enough water in the pot to cover the meat and tendon, so you may need to add more water while it's boiling away.
3. While the meat and tendon are cooking, chop up your garlic and onion and set aside.
4. Chop up your tomatoes and place them in a bowl. Starting with clean hands, start squeezing and smashing the crap out of them! You want to bring all that juice out of them but don't throw it away. Later, you will add in the tomatoes along with their juices into the soup.
5. After the 1 1/2 hrs, turn the heat off , remove the tendon, and cut into medium size chunks and set aside along with the beef shanks. You may choose to reserve some of the water used to boil your beef shanks and add it into your soup stock later.
6. On medium-medium high heat, put some oil into a skillet and throw in your chopped onions and bruised lemongrass. After 2 minutes or so, add in your beef shank and just before completely browned, throw in your chopped garlic.
7. Once your meat has browned, add in the coconut juice. Add in the tomatoes in their juices, ketchup, salt, and sugar. Continue to cook on medium low heat for 20 minutes.
8. Add in your tendon, large chunks of carrot, 8 cups of water, fish sauce, and the bo kho seasoning cubes. Turn the heat up just to bring it to a quick rolling boil and turn heat down again to medium low. Put a lid on it but do not cover completely. Leave a little space so that the steam has somewhere to escape.
9. Continue to cook for an additional 2 hrs until the meat and tendon are deliciously tender and finger licking good, baby!! Remove bruised lemongrass once cooking is complete. Taste for additional seasonings if needed. I ended up adding a tad bit more salt to mine but that's just my own personal preference.

Notes: This stew tastes great spooned over some thick rice noodles, with rice, or some freshly baked french bread too! The possibilities are endless with this tasty dish. Usually, when my mother in law buys this stew from a Vietnamese deli, they tend to be more on the sweeter side, so if you want, you may omit the sugar at first and then gradually add some in as you go along.

Also you can find bo kho seasoning boxes in most Asian markets. The ones I buy come in these tiny small packaged boxes that contain 4 cubes of bo kho seasoning. If I had to guess, I would probably say that I used anywhere from 1 1/2 to 2 T of the seasoning.

Okay, so enough reading already...GET YOUR LAZY BUTT UP, log off of Facebook, and get crackin' in that kitchen!! :)



Oh, and don't laugh at the video guys. It's old and I'm kind of embarrassed to watch it. LOL.

Homemade Pho

I don't know about you guys, but I'm pretty sure that all I need to survive is my hair straightener and pho. I can assure you that even in 90 degree weather, you can catch me in my kitchen hovering over my stove cooking up a big pot of pho. Since I married into a Vietnamese family, I figured that it would probably be a good idea to teach myself how to make it. This recipe feeds my family of 5 for 2-3 days depending on how often we eat it. Remember, that you may cut recipe in half or just use it as a reference. I actually used 3 pounds or so of beef bone in this recipe along w/ one whole foster farm chicken. If you think it's weird to make a broth with that mix, you don't have to do it. You can use all beef bones if you'd like, or all chicken. Whatever your preference, I assure you that it will all come out delicious!

You will need:

1 whole 3-4 pd skinned foster farm chicken(cut up chicken into large manageable pieces)or you may use all beef bone/knuckle for this recipe as well

3 pds of beef bone and/or beef knuckle

3 pound pkg of beef bottom round roast(use only if you want cooked beef slices)or you may sub w/oxtail

2 pkgs of beef meatballs

1 4 inch piece of ginger split in half

2 large onions cut in half(DO NO PEEL SKIN)

1 1/2 T. of coriander

1 tsp. whole cloves

2 cardamom pods split

2 cinnamon sticks

1 handful of star anise

2/3 cup of fish sauce

1 1/2 T. salt

3 oz. of palm sugar or 1/4 cp of sugar

1/2 tsp of msg(optional)

3 pkgs of fresh rice noodle

2 cheese cloths for straining broth

12 qt. stainless steel pot and an extra pot to parboil your bones

26 cups of water(or fill up halfway but remember you may cut recipe in half)

1 Stainless steel tea balls or mesh vegetable bags to hold all the spices for easier clean up

Garnishes:

Bean sprout

Mint

Lime wedges

Thinly sliced onion(soak onion in ice water for 30 min and drain)

Lime wedges

Chopped green onion

You want to roast your onion and ginger in the oven. Bake @ 400 degrees for 30 minutes. If you have an open burner, then you should preferably char the onion and ginger over an open flame, turning occasionally until slightly blackened.

Take a pot big enough for all your meat,(except for bottom round roast)add enough water to cover and bring them to a boil for about 8-10 minutes or so. This step is for cleaning your bones and it will help you to get a clearer broth. While that pot is coming to a boil, get your other 12 qt pot ready and fill it half way(about 26 cps). Unless, you want to wait FOREVER AND A DAY for a big stock pot of water packed with meat and bones to boil, then you can skip this part. Otherwise having two pots going at a time will save you a butt load of pho'cken time(pun intended).

Once chicken and/or beef bone is done parboiling, dump it into a large colander in sink and lightly rinse off bones under cool water.

Since you should have another pot of water almost coming to boil, carefully add the bones/meat into the pot of water. This is also the time where you would add in the bottom round roast. When making this pot of pho, I didn't quite measure how much water I added, just make sure that after you've added all the meat in, that the pot is pretty much filled with water 3/4 way up. Feel free to take some water out if there is too much. Add in the char broiled ginger and onion. Add in fish sauce, palm sugar,salt(and msg if you're opting to use it), cinnamon sticks, and a big handful of star anise.

Put the other spices listed, into 1 stainless steel tea ball or mesh bags and drop them into the the pot. Make sure you remove that chain that comes along with the tea ball.

Now all that's left is leaving it all to simmer on low heat for 3 hrs. You know you've done it right when the pot looks disgusting and greasy.

Skim off fat as you go along trying to only take out what you need. Sometimes, if I feel like I'm taking out too much water along with the fat, then I will add more water to compensate.

After the broth has been simmering for 2 hrs I then taste the broth to see if I need to add any additional seasonings. Remove your beef bottom roast(if using) and allow to rest on cutting board before slicing against the grain. Keep in mind that this recipe uses chicken instead of all beef bone which means less fat, so if you decide to use more beef bone and/or oxtail, your broth will be very greasy at first, so make sure you use your ladle to skim off any fat that rises to the surface and add more water to pot if necessary. Also note, that you want the broth slightly stronger tasting cause once you add the noodles and garnishes it will bring down the flavor a tad bit. I usually make a small bowl for myself to taste check before serving to guests.

Once it's seasoned to your liking and has been simmering for at least 3 hrs, remove all bones and meat and place into colander over a large bowl.

Place two cheese cloths over a mesh strainer fitted on top of a pot and slowly strain the broth until done.

Now that your broth is pretty again and smells FANTASTIC, you can add in the beef meatballs if you opted for them and bring to a slight boil until the balls are cooked through(they will puff up when they are almost ready).

Using a very sharp knife, thinly slice your bottom round roast against the grain. Also don't forget to shred the meat off of the chicken that you had set aside. This is a very crucial step when using beef bone with tons of meat on it and ESPECIALLY OXTAIL! Right before you pour the broth into your bowl, is when you would toss in a couple of pieces of this delicious and tender meat!

You can also use raw, thinly sliced sirloin steak if you wish. To make slicing easier and to ensure thin cuts of meat, put meat in freezer for 30 min. and then slice.

Assembling the bowls: Place blanched rice noodles(or if using dry noodles, follow directions on package)in individual bowls and top with thinly cooked beef slices. If you are adding raw beef slices, the broth must be boiling to cook it through before you ladle the soup into the bowl. If the broth is not quite boiling but VERY HOT, than you can cook the meat by quickly dipping it into the pho broth using the ladle(it should take seconds). Once you've added the broth into the bowl, top with the garnishes of your choice and....VOILA!!!

Notes: The spices used in pho can get pretty pricey if you purchase them at your local Safeway, Fred Meyers or wherever you shop. If you know of a local Asian market or know someone that can get to one, I would highly recommend you go there cause it is waaaaay more inexpensive BELIEVE ME!
Also the type of fish sauce you use matters!! Don't use the ones that come in the plastic bottles...YUCKY! Use the ones that come in the glass bottles instead. There are various brands and most of them are very similar in taste.
Lastly, if you're using all beef bones and oxtails, the longer you simmer the broth the better! But I wouldn't recommend simmering chicken for longer then 3 to 4 hrs cause it will get VERY GELATINOUS after cooled and it will not look too appetizing when you're trying to reheat it. Feel free to add in any fixings to satisfy your taste buds! You can add all kinds of stuff to pho...tripe,shrimp,flank stank(I mean steak):),or even beef tendon. Whatever your palette, pho is always a real crowd pleaser!

I posted this recipe on my blog MONTHS before I started my Youtube channel so it differs slightly than the video. The spices, and the amount of meat I used DID NOT CHANGE, so feel free to use and follow the recipe listed w/ a few minor adjustments as stated in the video! If you want a healthier alternative than follow the written recipe for pho using chicken as the base but if you want a full bodied and tastier pho experience, than follow my video where I use all beef bones/oxtails and let it simmer for up to 8 hrs! ENJOY AND HAPPY EATING!! :)

Clam and Lobster Chowder(in a bread bowl)

You will need:

2(10 ounce cans)of WHOLE baby clams
10 ounces of lobster meat
7-8 strips of bacon, thinly sliced
1 cup of diced celery
1 cup of diced potatoes
1 cup of diced carrots
1 whole small shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves of finely chopped garlic
5 cups total of clam juice(you will get some juice from draining the canned clams)
1/2 cup of softened, unsalted butter
1/2 cup of sifted all purpose flour
2 cups of heavy cream
salt, white pepper, and sugar to taste
scallions(green onions) for garnish
bread bowls(optional)
extra virgin olive oil(for bread bowls)

Using a mixing bowl and sieve, drain the juice from the canned clams and set the clams aside along with your lobster. Add more clam juice into mixing bowl to total 5 cups. Next, add your sliced bacon into a large, ungreased skillet, and fry until crunchy. Remove the bacon but leave the fatty goodness in the skillet. On medium heat, add in your shallots and cook until almost browned. Then, add in your chopped garlic and cook until fragrant. Add in your diced carrots, potatoes, and celery and cook for a couple of minutes. Pour in all of your clam juice and bring it all to a rolling boil. Turn the heat down a bit then cover and cook for about 20-25 minutes. Once tender, remove lid and turn heat down to LOW. In a separate, smaller saucepan on medium heat, add in your softened butter. When your butter has completely melted, quickly add in your flour(all at once), and whisk until smooth. Once smooth, pour in your heavy cream and continue to whisk until sauce has slightly thickened. Strain your heavy cream mixture and then pour it into your veggie and soup base. Mix to combine and then add in your clams and lobster. Stir until heated completely through. Taste check and add in some salt, white pepper, and some sugar to taste. Serve immediately, or allow to cool down and place in the fridge overnight. Garnish with bacon pieces and chopped scallions.

To make the bread bowls:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Using a sharp serrated knife, slice off the top part of the boule. Use your knife or hands to tear out the inside bread to create a pocket for your chowder. Take some extra virgin olive oil and brush the insides and all around the outside of your bread bowl. Bake for 7-8 minutes or until bread has slightly browned. Garnish and serve immediately.

Thit kho tau/Kaw(caramelized pork belly w/eggs)

You will need:

2 pounds of pork belly cut into medium sized chunks(about 1 1/2 inch wide).
8 hard boiled eggs(peeled)
1 can of bamboo shoots(tips only), cut into medium sized chunks
the juice from 2 fresh/young coconuts(watch the vid below on how to cut into the coconut).
freshly grated ginger
1/3 cup plus 1/2 T. of good fish sauce
1/3 cup of granulated sugar(to make caramel)
1 T. of sugar(to marinade pork)
1/4 tsp of msg(optional)
black pepper(to taste)
2 pinches of salt
garlic powder
1-2 green onions, finely chopped
water

First, start out by slicing your pork belly into medium sized chunks. Add in your chopped green onion, 2 pinches of salt, black pepper, garlic powder, msg(if using), toss to coat and set aside.

Drain your bamboo shoots, rinse them under cold water, and then cut them into medium sized chunks. Set aside.

Did you make some hard boiled eggs, yet?? Just checking. :)

Next, cut into the coconuts and drain the juice out into a fine, mesh sieve or strainer. Set that aside as well.

Take your heaviest pot(heavy bottomed or thick walled pot) and turn the heat to medium. Evenly coat the bottom of the pot with 1/3 cup of granulated sugar and wait for it to liquify. This can take up to several minutes. Try not to disturb it until most of the sugar has melted. Once it has melted, swirl the pot around a few times.

Once the sugar has turned into a coppery brown, stir it a little bit, and then add in your pork. Mix well and allow the pork to cook for 5 minutes. Add in your bamboo shoots, fish sauce, fresh coconut juice, and hard boiled eggs. You only need to add enough water to completely cover the pork(the eggs do not need to be completely submerged). Bring everything to a quick rolling boil, turn the heat down to medium low, and allow to cook for 2 hours. Don't forget to lift the lid and skim off any scum that has risen to the surface. Serve with rice and a side of pickled mustard greens(recipe can be found on my site as well)! :)

Notes: Once the eggs have browned to your liking, you may remove the eggs to prevent further cooking or just do what I did in the video below. I was taught to simmer the pork for a long time so that the flavor of the caramelized sugar would remain in the pork. If you prefer more of a soupy base, then you may cook for a shorter period of time or just until your pork is tender--just remember to adjust seasoning as needed. You may sub fresh coconut water for the canned ones but keep in mind that it will be much sweeter then using the fresh ones so reduce the amount of sugar used to make the caramel. You can also use pork spare ribs or pork tenderloin if you are trying to keep an eye on your awesome figure. I prefer using pork belly and because of the hight fat content, I can only limit myself into making this dish once, every six months. :)

Massaman Curry(semi-homemade)

Curry shouldn't have to be a pain in the ass!! This recipe is EASY, DELICIOUS, and no one has to EVER know that it was semi-homemade! Your secret is safe with me! :)

You will need:
4 cans of pre-made Massaman Curry(Hmart sells them)!
2 pounds of diced chicken thighs
some fried tofu(optional)
1 onion sliced
1 can(16.9 ounces) of young coconut water. DO NOT USE COCONUT MILK.
1/2 a can of(11.5 ounces)pineapple juice
4-5 large carrots in large chunks
4-5 golden potatoes in large cubes
2 big handfuls of petite green beans(trimmed)
1 T. of palm sugar
1/2 tsp of msg(optional)
1/2 tsp of salt
black pepper
1 tsp of tamarind powder
1/2 T. of Knorr brand(no msg added), roasted chicken base(I purchased from Cash and Carry)
peanut oil

Open up your canned curry and remove any lime leaf if you see them. The curry in the can will look like it separated but that's normal. Once you puree it, it will no longer look like that! Lol. Place the curry into a blender and puree until smooth. Set aside. Add some peanut oil into a large, hot, stock pot. Add your sliced onion, some salt, and cook for a few minutes. Add in your chicken, stir, and cook until most of it is no longer pink. Add in a pinch of salt and some freshly grated black pepper. Then, pour in your coconut water and 1/2 a small can of pineapple juice. Stir to combine. Pour in your reserved pr-emade curry and mix well. Toss in your chunks of carrot and let the soup come to a boil. Cover and reduce heat slightly and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Remove lid and carefully add in your potatoes. Add in your palm sugar, salt, roasted chicken base, tamarind powder, and msg if using. Stir and allow soup to come to a boil once again. Reduce the heat, cover, and allow to simmer until carrots and potatoes are cooked through. Add in your green beans, cook for 7 more minutes or until cooked through. If you are using tofu, add in your tofu in the last 20-30 minutes of cooking time. Taste check, and add additional seasoning if necessary. Serve warm over rice or with some french bread.

Notes: This curry is thick because that's how my husband likes it! He prefers to take some slices of french bread and dip it into the soup and devour the bowl until the fat lady sings(ME)!! If you prefer your soup less thick, just add more coconut water and adjust seasoning, accordingly. Soups taste even better the next day, so if you have the time, I would suggest that you make this curry the night before--just reheat it the following day! Also, this recipe makes quite a bit of curry so feel free to cut recipe in half.

Vietnamese sour soup(canh chua)

You will need:

7(14.5 ounces)cans of low sodium chicken broth--makes about 3 quarts
1 pound of cleaned cat fish fillets(you may use chicken)
1/2 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cups chopped fresh pineapple
4 large tomatoes cut into medium sized chunks
about 1 pound of okra
1/2 pound of baha(elephant ear stems)or fuzzy squash
8 ounces of cleaned bean sprouts
a handful of cleaned rice herb patty
a handful of mexican or saw tooth coriander
1/2 tsp of salt
2 T of fish sauce
2 T of sugar
3 T of tamarind

Garnishes:

chopped fresh herb patty
sliced fresh chili peppers

Chop up your pineapple and set aside. Wash your tomatoes and okra, chop those up then set aside. Take your elephant ear stems, peel off the skin, and slice them at a diagonal about 1/4-1/2 inch thick and set aside as well.

Bring your chopped pineapple and chicken broth to a rolling boil then add in your fish sauce, salt, and sugar. Give it a stir then add in your cleaned catfish fillets and let them simmer for about 5 minutes. If using chicken, please make sure chicken is cooked through before adding in your veggies.

Next add in your okra and elephant ear stems. Stir and let that cook for 5-7 more minutes. Stir in your tamarind powder then skim off any foam or scum that has floated to the surface. Taste for seasoning and add more fish sauce, salt, sugar, or tamarind powder if needed.

Turn off the stove at this point and add in your cleaned bean sprouts. Stir to combine then top it off with your chopped rice herb patty and mexican coriander. Pour into bowl and serve warm. Top it off with more chopped fresh herb patty and slices of fresh chili peppers! DELICIOUS!

Notes: This makes quite a bit of soup so feel free to cut recipe in half!

Wonton Soup

Mmm, it's cold here in Washington and this wonton soup is EXACTLY what I needed to warm up today. It's light and filling at the same time, and you know what??? You won't feel like a complete COW after you've devoured and slurped each and every tiny drop of that delicious broth. Give this soup a try...you won't be sorry. :)

For the broth you will need:

(3) 32 oz boxes of low sodium chicken broth plus 2 more cups of water(3.5 quarts total)
2 T of sugar
1/2 tsp of freshly grated ginger
1 1/2 tsp of salt
3 packets of wonton soup base mix( I use the brand dynasty)
1/8 tsp of white pepper(or more if you like spicy)
1 tsp of sesame oil

For the filling you will need:

1/2 pound of finely chopped shrimp(peeled and deveined)
1/4 of a pound(or 4 oz) of ground pork(give your pork a few quick chops on cutting board before mixing w/ shrimp)
3 T of finely chopped green bartlett pear(or water chestnut/celery if you wish)
1 green onion finely chopped
1 tsp of sugar
1/4 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp of white pepper
1/2 tsp of garlic powder
some freshly grated ginger

You will also need:

chopped green onion for garnish
1 to 2 pkg's of wonton wrappers
1 egg lightly beaten

To make the broth:

Bring your chicken broth and water to a boil. Grate in your ginger. Add your salt and sugar. Add in your wonton soup mix. Stir to combine. Turn heat down(or off) and add in your white pepper and sesame oil last. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Don't make the broth too salty. You don't want it to overpower the taste of the wonton.

How to make the filling:

Place all of your ingredients into a mixing bowl and thoroughly mix it with clean hands. Once mixed, cover and let refrigerate for 1 hr to overnight.

How to assemble wontons:

Place 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp of filling onto the middle of wonton wrapper. Using a pastry brush, lightly dab on some egg wash on all four sides of wonton wrapper. Fold over to create a triangle. Press the sides down gently and fold using technique shown in my video. Remember to have a damp cloth over filled wontons and wonton wrappers at all times to prevent drying out.
Place filled wontons in boiling water and cook for 5 minutes or until they all float to the surface. I recommend cooking ONE WONTON FIRST to taste for seasoning. Sometimes, I end up adding a touch more salt, sometimes more sugar. Once all cooked, using a slotted spoon, place in colander to drain excess water. Place wontons in pretty serving bowl, ladle on some warm broth, and garnish with chopped green onion.

Notes: You may freeze any leftover filling that you don't use. You may also cut the broth recipe in half.
Don't forget to watch my tutorial on how to make this easy and sinfully delicious wonton soup!!

Asian Beef Stew

My beef stew is literally FINGER LICKIN' GOOD!!

MakeIt.SmellIt.TasteIt.LoveIt.

ENOUGH SAID.

You will need:

2 pounds of beef shank
1/2 pound of tendon
a couple of carrots cut into large chunks(maybe 1/2 pound to 1 pd)
1 stalk of lemongrass trimmed, bruised, and cut in half
4 cloves of chopped garlic
half of an onion(chopped)
2 tomatoes(I used tomatoes still on the vine)
2 cups of coconut juice/soda(no pulp)
2 T of ketchup
2 cubes of Bo Kho Seasoning
1/2 T of sugar
1 tsp of salt
1/4 cup of fish sauce
8 cups of water
olive oil

For the red food coloring:

1 T of annatto seeds cooked on very low heat in extra virgin olive oil(you may omit this step and use paprika instead)

Serving suggestions:

Thick Rice Noodles(follow cooking directions according to packaging)
Over Rice
Freshly baked french bread

Garnishes:

cilantro
parsley
chili peppers

 Clean and rinse off your beef shanks. Cut your beef shanks into large pieces(about 1 1/2 inches wide). Beef shanks are really tough so you need to boil it for some time to help make it more tender.

Put your beef shank and tendon into a pot and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium to medium high heat and continue to keep at a rolling boil for 1-1 1/2 hrs. Make sure to keep enough water in the pot to cover the meat and tendon, so you may need to add more water while it's boiling away.

While the meats cooking chop up your garlic and onion and set aside.

Chop up your tomatoes and place them in a bowl. Starting with clean hands(of course)start squeezing and smashing the sh*t out of them! You want to bring all that juice out of them but don't throw it away. Later, you will add in the tomatoes along with their juices into the soup.

After the 1 1/2 hrs, turn the heat off , remove the tendon and cut into medium size chunks and set aside along with the beef shanks.

On medium-medium high heat, put some oil into a skillet and throw in your chopped onions and bruised lemongrass. After 2 minutes or so, add in your beef shank and just before completely browned, throw in your chopped garlic.

Once meat has browned, add in the coconut juice. Add in the tomatoes in their juices, ketchup, salt, and sugar. Continue to cook on medium low heat for 20 minutes.

Add in your tendon, large chunks of carrot, 8 cups of water, fish sauce, and the bo kho seasoning cubes. Turn the heat up just to bring it to a quick rolling boil and turn heat down again to medium low. Put a lid on it but do not cover completely. Leave a little space so that the steam has somewhere to escape.

Continue to cook for an additional 2-2 1/2 hrs until the meat and tendon are deliciously tender and finger licking good, baby!! Remove bruised lemongrass once cooking is complete.

Taste for additional seasonings if needed. I ended up adding a tad bit more salt to mine but that's just my own personal preference.

Notes: This stew tastes great spooned over some thick rice noodles, with rice, or some freshly baked french bread too! The possibilities are endless with this tasty dish. Usually, when my mother in law buys this stew from a Vietnamese deli, they tend to be more on the sweeter side, so if you want, you may omit the sugar at first and then gradually add some in as you go along.
Also you can find bo kho seasoning boxes in most Asian markets. The ones I buy, come in these tiny small packaged boxes that contain 4 cubes of bo kho seasoning. If I had to guess, I would probably say that I used anywhere from 1 1/2 to 2 T of the seasoning.
Okay, so enough reading already...GET YOUR LAZY ASS UP, log off of Facebook, and get crackin' in that kitchen!! :)

Homemade Pho

I don't know about you guys, but I'm pretty sure that all I need to survive is my hair straightener and pho. I can assure you that even in 90 degree weather, you can catch me in my kitchen hovering over my stove cooking up a big pot of pho. Since I married into a Vietnamese family, I figured that it would probably be a good idea to teach myself how to make it. This recipe feeds my family of 5 for 2-3 days depending on how often we eat it. Remember, that you may cut recipe in half or just use it as a reference. I actually used 3 pounds or so of beef bone in this recipe along w/ one whole foster farm chicken. If you think it's weird to make a broth with that mix, you don't have to do it. You can use all beef bones if you'd like, or all chicken. Whatever your preference, I assure you that it will all come out delicious!

You will need:

1 whole 3-4 pd skinned foster farm chicken(cut up chicken into large manageable pieces)or you may use all beef bone/knuckle for this recipe as well

3 pds of beef bone and/or beef knuckle

3 pound pkg of beef bottom round roast(use only if you want cooked beef slices)or you may sub w/oxtail

2 pkgs of beef meatballs

1 4 inch piece of ginger split in half

2 large onions cut in half(DO NO PEEL SKIN)

1 1/2 T. of coriander

1 tsp. whole cloves

2 cardamom pods split

2 cinnamon sticks

1 handful of star anise

2/3 cup of fish sauce

1 1/2 T. salt

3 oz. of palm sugar or 1/4 cp of sugar

1/2 tsp of msg(optional)

3 pkgs of fresh rice noodle

2 cheese cloths for straining broth

12 qt. stainless steel pot and an extra pot to parboil your bones

26 cups of water(or fill up halfway but remember you may cut recipe in half)

1 Stainless steel tea balls or mesh vegetable bags to hold all the spices for easier clean up

Garnishes:

Bean sprout

Mint

Lime wedges

Thinly sliced onion(soak onion in ice water for 30 min and drain)

Lime wedges

Chopped green onion


You want to roast your onion and ginger in the oven. Bake @ 400 degrees for 30 minutes. If you have an open burner, then you should preferably char the onion and ginger over an open flame, turning occasionally until slightly blackened.

Take a pot big enough for all your meat,(except for bottom round roast)add enough water to cover and bring them to a boil for about 8-10 minutes or so. This step is for cleaning your bones and it will help you to get a clearer broth. While that pot is coming to a boil, get your other 12 qt pot ready and fill it half way(about 26 cps). Unless, you want to wait FOREVER AND A DAY for a big stock pot of water packed with meat and bones to boil, then you can skip this part. Otherwise having two pots going at a time will save you a butt load of pho'cken time(pun intended).

Once chicken and/or beef bone is done parboiling, dump it into a large colander in sink and lightly rinse off bones under cool water.

Since you should have another pot of water almost coming to boil, carefully add the bones/meat into the pot of water. This is also the time where you would add in the bottom round roast. When making this pot of pho, I didn't quite measure how much water I added, just make sure that after you've added all the meat in, that the pot is pretty much filled with water 3/4 way up. Feel free to take some water out if there is too much. Add in the char broiled ginger and onion. Add in fish sauce, palm sugar,salt(and msg if you're opting to use it), cinnamon sticks, and a big handful of star anise.

Put the other spices listed, into 1 stainless steel tea ball or mesh bags and drop them into the the pot. Make sure you remove that chain that comes along with the tea ball.

Now all that's left is leaving it all to simmer on low heat for 3 hrs. You know you've done it right when the pot looks disgusting and greasy.

Skim off fat as you go along trying to only take out what you need. Sometimes, if I feel like I'm taking out too much water along with the fat, then I will add more water to compensate.

After the broth has been simmering for 2 hrs I then taste the broth to see if I need to add any additional seasonings. Remove your beef bottom roast(if using) and allow to rest on cutting board before slicing against the grain. Keep in mind that this recipe uses chicken instead of all beef bone which means less fat, so if you decide to use more beef bone and/or oxtail, your broth will be very greasy at first, so make sure you use your ladle to skim off any fat that rises to the surface and add more water to pot if necessary. Also note, that you want the broth slightly stronger tasting cause once you add the noodles and garnishes it will bring down the flavor a tad bit. I usually make a small bowl for myself to taste check before serving to guests.

Once it's seasoned to your liking and has been simmering for at least 3 hrs, remove all bones and meat and place into colander over a large bowl.

Place two cheese cloths over a mesh strainer fitted on top of a pot and slowly strain the broth until done.

Now that your broth is pretty again and smells FANTASTIC, you can add in the beef meatballs if you opted for them and bring to a slight boil until the balls are cooked through(they will puff up when they are almost ready).

Using a very sharp knife, thinly slice your bottom round roast against the grain. Also don't forget to shred the meat off of the chicken that you had set aside. This is a very crucial step when using beef bone with tons of meat on it and ESPECIALLY OXTAIL! Right before you pour the broth into your bowl, is when you would toss in a couple of pieces of this delicious and tender meat!

You can also use raw, thinly sliced sirloin steak if you wish. To make slicing easier and to ensure thin cuts of meat, put meat in freezer for 30 min. and then slice.

Assembling the bowls: Place blanched rice noodles(or if using dry noodles, follow directions on package)in individual bowls and top with thinly cooked beef slices. If you are adding raw beef slices, the broth must be boiling to cook it through before you ladle the soup into the bowl. If the broth is not quite boiling but VERY HOT, than you can cook the meat by quickly dipping it into the pho broth using the ladle(it should take seconds). Once you've added the broth into the bowl, top with the garnishes of your choice and....VOILA!!!

Notes: The spices used in pho can get pretty pricey if you purchase them at your local Safeway, Fred Meyers or wherever you shop. If you know of a local Asian market or know someone that can get to one, I would highly recommend you go there cause it is waaaaay more inexpensive BELIEVE ME!
Also the type of fish sauce you use matters!! Don't use the ones that come in the plastic bottles...YUCKY! Use the ones that come in the glass bottles instead. There are various brands and most of them are very similar in taste.
Lastly, if you're using all beef bones and oxtails, the longer you simmer the broth the better! But I wouldn't recommend simmering chicken for longer then 3 to 4 hrs cause it will get VERY GELATINOUS after cooled and it will not look too appetizing when you're trying to reheat it. Feel free to add in any fixings to satisfy your taste buds! You can add all kinds of stuff to pho...tripe,shrimp,flank stank(I mean steak):),or even beef tendon. Whatever your palette, pho is always a real crowd pleaser!

I posted this recipe on my blog MONTHS before I started my Youtube channel so it differs slightly than the video. The spices, and the amount of meat I used DID NOT CHANGE, so feel free to use and follow the recipe listed w/ a few minor adjustments as stated in the video! If you want a healthier alternative than follow the written recipe for pho using chicken as the base but if you want a full bodied and tastier pho experience, than follow my video where I use all beef bones/oxtails and let it simmer for up to 8 hrs! ENJOY AND HAPPY EATING!! :)