Beef Pho

Serves: 8

Ingredients

1.5kg oxtail, cut into 3cm pieces
1 garlic bulb, unpeeled
1 large onion, unpeeled
4 shallots, unpeeled
150g ginger, unpeeled
1.5kg beef brisket
150ml fish sauce
1 tbsp salt
50g rock sugar
1.6kg fresh rice noodles
400g beef sirloin, trimmed and thinly sliced
4 spring onions
4 tbsp coriander leaves
4 tbsp mint leaves
2 bird's eye chillies, finely sliced
1 lime, cut into wedges

Spice Pouch

8 cloves
5 star anise
2 cassia bark (10cm long)
1 tbsp black peppercorns

Method

1. In a large pot, submerge the oxtail in cold water and set aside to soak for 1 hour.
2. To make the spice pouch, dry-roast each ingredient separately in a frying pan over medium heat until fragrant. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Using a pestle and mortar, coarsely grind ingredients. Wrap the ground spices in a piece of muslin and tie up tightly in a knot.
3. Heat a large frying over medium heat and cook the unpeeled garlic, onion, shallot and ginger for 15-20 minutes, turning them, until all sides are blackened. Remove from heat.When cool enough to handle, peel and disc-ard the skins, then roughly chop.
4. Place the oxtail, brisket and 5 litres of cold water in a stockpot and bring to the boil. While stock is boiling, skim impurities off the surface for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to a low simmer. Add the fish sauce, salt, sugar, and spice pouch. Cover and simmer for 3 hours, or until the stock has reduced. Strain the stock through a piece of muslin. Remove brisket, set aside to cool, then thinly slice.
5. Blanch the rice noodles in boiling water for 20 seconds. Drain, then divide between soup bowls. Place 3-4 pieces of brisket on top of the noodles, followed by 3-4 pieces of raw sirloin. Pour over the hot stock to cover the noodles and beef. Garnish with spring onion, mint, coriander, chilli and a lime wedge.

Tips

 Always rest beef after cooking. This gives the meat juices a chance to redistribute, giving a moister and tender result.

 Note: Not all images displayed on this page utilise Cape Grim Beef.