Beef Pho Recipe

Beef Pho is one of my favorite comfort food. My husband loves pho so I make it at least once a month. Every time I make it we would have it for lunch and dinner because there’s so much broth for my small family. It is kind of hard to get leg or knuckle bones where I live so I don’t use those when I make mine. Once in awhile I’ll use oxtail bones. They are kind of pricy here.

I remembered my mom making pho with leg bones outside in a large pot. It always took forever for it to be done cooking. It was so delicious that it filled me up every time. Meat balls are always my favorite and one of the best part in pho.

Everyone makes their pho differently so don’t judge. Each pho bowl will taste differently if you add condiments. I like my pho broth to be spicy and sour so my broth will be red instead of brown.

Beef Pho

Broth Ingredients:

  • 1-2 Beef bones with marrow: oxtails, knuckle bones, leg bones
  • 1/2 lb Beef meat: chuck roast, brisket, flank
  • 2 charred onion (rinse and remove black parts before throwing into the pot) or cut in half and throw it in
  • 1 – 4 inch charred ginger (rinse and remove black parts before throwing into the pot – optional)
  • 1 Gia Vi Nau Pho Bac spice packet (small white mesh bag with coriander, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, fennel, cardamom)

Pho spice packet

  • 1-2 gallon water
  • 1-2 tbsp Pho broth soup base

Other Ingredients:

  • Fresh mint
  • Cilantro
  • Green Onions
  • Basil
  • Bean sprouts
  • Limes
  • Jalapeno
  • Meatballs
  • Vietnamese Ham
  • Peanuts (optional)
  • Peanut butter (optional)

Sauces:

  • Sriracha
  • Ground Chili Oil (spicy)
  • Instant Beef paste
  • Hoisin
  • Soy Sauce
  • Fish sauce

Pho condiments

Directions:

  1. If you don’t want to use any bone that is fine. It will decrease the cook time. Skip step 2-6
  2. Wash the beef bones clean to get rid of any small bones.
  3. Add the bones to a large pot and fill with water until bones are cover.
  4. Boil the bones for 5-10 minutes to get rid of the impurities
  5. Pour the water out and rinse the bones. Be careful, it’s hot!
  6. Put the bones back into the pot and fill the pot with cold water
  7. Add the beef meat (if you want to cook your meat beforehand) to a pot with water
  8. Let it boil and cook for an hour
  9. Add the charred onion, charred ginger, spice packet, pho broth seasoning
  10. Cook for additional 1-4 hours. Cook longer if you want stronger flavor.
  11. Season to your tasting. Enjoy!

Pho Broth

Beef Pho

Beef Pho Recipe

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Total Time3 hours 30 minutes
Course: Main Dish
Servings: 10

Ingredients

  • 1-2 Beef bones with marrow: oxtails, knuckle bones, leg bones
  • 1/2 lb Beef meat: chuck roast, brisket, flank
  • 2 Charred onion (rinse and remove black parts before throwing into the pot) or cut in half and throw it in
  • 1 4 inch charred ginger (rinse and remove black parts before throwing into the pot – optional)
  • 1 Gia Vi Nau Pho Bac spice packet (small white mesh bag with coriander, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, fennel, cardamom)
  • 1-2 Gallon Water
  • 1-2 tbsp Pho Broth Soup Base

Toppings

  • Fresh Mint
  • Cilantro
  • Green onions
  • Basil
  • Bean sprouts
  • Jalapenos
  • Meatballs
  • Vietnamese Ham
  • Peanuts (Optional)
  • Peanut Butter (Optional)

Condiments

  • Sriracha
  • Ground Chili Oil (Spicy)
  • Instant Beef Paste
  • Hoisin
  • Soy Sauce
  • Fish Sauce

Instructions

  • If you don’t want to use any bone that is fine. It will decrease the cook time. Skip step 2-6
  • Wash the beef bones clean to get rid of any small bones.
  • Add the bones to a large pot and fill with water until bones are cover.
  • Boil the bones for 5-10 minutes to get rid of the impurities
  • Pour the water out and rinse the bones. Be careful, it's hot!
  • Put the bones back into the pot and fill the pot with cold water
  • Add the beef meat (if you want to cook your meat beforehand) to a pot with water
  • Let it boil and cook for an hour
  • Add the charred onion, charred ginger, spice packet, pho broth seasoning
  • Cook for additional 1-4 hours. Cook longer if you want stronger flavor.
  • Season to your tasting. Enjoy!

The Best Royal Icing Recipe

This is the best royal icing recipe. It is very easy to use to decorate sugar cookies. It dries up quickly too. I got this recipe from Follow the Ruels. She gives some good tips on thinning the icing so check out her post.

Sugar cookies

Ingredients: 
  • 2 tbsp Meringue Powder
  • 1/4 cup Water and 1-2 tbsp of water for thinning
  • 4 cups Powder Sugar
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Directions:

In a bowl or stand mixer, mix the meringue powder with water until there’s foam. Stir in powder sugar and vanilla extract until the icing become light. If the mixture is thick, add 1 tbsp of water at a time.

Separate the icing into bowls and add the desire coloring.

Click here for the Sugar Cookies Recipe!

The Best Royal Icing Recipe

Prep Time15 minutes
Total Time15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp Meringue Powder
  • 1/4 cup Water and 1-2 tbsp of water for thinning
  • 4 cups Powder Sugar
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Instructions

  • In a bowl or stand mixer, mix the meringue powder with water until there's foam. Stir in powder sugar and vanilla extract until the icing become light. If the mixture is thick, add 1 tbsp of water at a time.  Separate the icing into bowls and add the desire coloring.  

Sugar Cookies Recipe

This sugar cookies recipe is so easy to make. It is soft and keeps its shape after baking. It’s perfect for decorating!

Sugar cookies

My daughter loves to help me bake. I enjoy baking with her. It’s mother daughter bonding time. She helped me picked the cookie cutter shapes. After I rolled out the dough, she helped me cut it. Making sugar cookies is similar to play-doh so she likes it and had fun helping.

Ingredients:
  • 3 Cups of flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
  • 2 1/2  Sticks of butter
  • 1 Cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 325 Degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, stir flour and baking powder together. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Stir in eggs and vanilla extract. Add the flour and baking powder in and knead the dough.

Roll the dough out into 1/4 inch thick. Using cookie cutters, cut them into shapes. Place the cookies on the baking sheet and put it in the fridge for 5 minutes. Then bake for 10-12 minutes. Let it cool off before decorating.

I made my own royal icing for the sugar cookies. Click here for the recipe.

Sugar Cookies Recipe

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Servings: 24 Cookies

Ingredients

  • 3 Cups Flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
  • 2 1/2 Sticks of butter
  • 1 Cup sugar
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 Egg yolk
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 325 Degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, stir flour and baking powder together. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Stir in eggs and vanilla extract. Add the flour and baking powder in and knead the dough. 
  • Roll the dough out into 1/4 inch thick. Using cookie cutters, cut them into shapes. Place the cookies on the baking sheet and put it in the fridge for 5 minutes. Then bake for 10-12 minutes. Let it cool off before decorating. 

Stuffed Chicken Wings

Stuffed Chicken Wings

Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time2 hours
Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 15-20 Chicken Wings
  • 4 Bundles of Bean Thread Noodles
  • 2 Carrots, shredded
  • 1/2 Cabbage, shredded
  • 2 Stalk Green Onions, cut
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 cup Oyster Sauce
  • 2 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
  • Salt
  • Black pepper

Instructions

  • First, debone the chicken wings. Be careful not to cut the skin and yourself.
  • Soak the bean thread noodles in warm water until soft. Drain the noodles and cut them about 4 inches with a scissor. Peel the carrots and shred them. Then cut them smaller. Shred the cabbage.
  • In a medium bowl mix the noodles, carrots, sauces, salt, and black pepper.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with pam. Rub some salt onto the wings. Stuff the wings until they are full. You can use tooth picks to close the opening if you want to. Put the stuffed wings on the baking sheet.
  • Bake until golden brown, flipping every 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!

Stuffed chicken wings are delicious, but it is hard work. By hard work I mean the labor part of deboning the wings. It takes a lot of patience and skill to debone it perfectly. My first time deboning the wings were really bad. I didn’t have the patience at all so it had holes in every wings that I deboned. Throughout the years I have become better at deboning them. It is hard work, but worth it. Super yummy!

Ingredients:
  • 15-20 Chicken Wings
  • 4 Bundles of Bean Thread Noodles
  • 2 Carrots, shredded
  • 1/2 Cabbage, shredded
  • 2 stalk Green Onions, cut
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 cup Oyster Sauce
  • 2 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
  • Salt
  • Black Pepper
Directions:

First, debone the chicken wings. Be careful not to cut the skin and yourself.

debone chicken wingsdebone chicken wings debone chicken wings debone chicken wings debone chicken wings debone chicken wings

Soak the bean thread noodles in warm water until soft. Drain the noodles and cut them about 4 inches with a scissor. Peel the carrots and shred them. Then cut them smaller. Shred the cabbage. In a medium bowl mix the noodles, carrots, sauces, salt, and black pepper.

asian stuffing

Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees.

Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with pam. Rub some salt onto the wings. Stuff the wings until they are full. You can use tooth picks to close the opening if you want to. Put the stuffed wings on the baking sheet.

stuffed chicken wings

Bake until golden brown, flipping every 15-20 minutes.

stuffed chicken wings

stuffed chicken wings

stuffed chicken wings

Enjoy!

Sesame Balls

Sesame balls are delicious! One of my childhood favorites. They do take awhile to make, but hard work pays off. Growing up my mom, sisters, aunts, cousins, and I usually make these for parties and special events. Now that I have my own family I make them whenever I want to eat them; that’s probably like once or twice a year.

I’ve tried 3 different recipes and this one is my favorite. It turns out perfect every time and the dough is easy to work with.

Ingredients:

Dough:

  • 1 Cup Mashed Potato flakes
  • 2 Cups boiling water
  • 1 bag (16 oz) Glutinous Rice Flour
  • 2 tbsp Rice Flour
  • 2 1/2 tsp Baking powder
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 2 tbsp Oil
  • Sesame seeds

Fillings:

  • 1 bag of Mung beans (2 cups)
  • 1/2 – 1 cup of Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Salt



Directions:

Rinse the mung beans in a medium bowl until the water is clear and not yellow. Let it sit over night.

mung beans

Dough: In a small pot, boil 2 cups of water. Mix the potato flakes with 1 cup of water until it thickens. Add all the other ingredients and stir. Add 1/2 cup of water and knead the dough. Add a little bit more water and knead well. It’s so much easier if you have a stand mixer to knead the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for 1 hour.

dough dough

Fillings: Rinse the mung beans again and steam it for about 30 minutes or until the mung beans are soft.

mung beans

In a medium bowl mix the sugar, salt, and mung beans together.

mung beans

Using a mortar and pestle, pound the mung beans until it is smooth. It shouldn’t feel wet. It should feel like thick mashed potatoes that you can make into a ball.

mung beans sesame balls filling

Roll 1/2 inch balls with the mung beans and put it on a pan.

sesame ball fillings

Using your hands, roll dough into a ball smaller than a golf ball then flatten it out.

sesame balls

Put the mung bean ball in the middle and roll it into a ball.

sesame balls sesame balls

Dip and roll the ball in the sesame seeds until it is covered.

sesame balls




On medium heat, fry the sesame balls for 5-10 minutes until it is golden brown. You can check to see if it is cooked by cutting one open. The texture on the inside shouldn’t be doughy. It should be clear and sticky. Be careful not to burn them.

sesame balls

Line an aluminum pan with paper towels. Once the sesame balls are cook, line them up in a pan to get rid of the excess oil.

sesame balls

Enjoy!

sesame balls

Sesame Balls

Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Mashed Potato flakes
  • 2 cups Boiling water
  • 1 bag or 16 oz Glutinous Rice Flour
  • 2 tbsp Rice Flour
  • 2 1/2 tsp Baking powder
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 2 tbsp Oil
  • Sesame Seeds
  • 1 bag or 2 cups Mung beans
  • 1/2 - 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Salt

Instructions

  • Rinse the mung beans in a medium bowl until the water is clear and not yellow. Let it sit over night.
  • Dough: In a small pot, boil 2 cups of water. Mix the potato flakes with 1 cup of water until it thickens. Add all the other ingredients and stir. Add 1/2 cup of water and knead the dough. Add a little bit more water and knead well. It's so much easier if you have a stand mixer to knead the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for 1 hour.
  • Fillings: Rinse the mung beans again and steam it for about 30 minutes or until the mung beans are soft. In a medium bowl mix the sugar, salt, and mung beans together. Using a mortar and pestle, pound the mung beans until it is smooth. It shouldn't feel wet. It should feel like thick mashed potatoes that you can make into a ball.
  • Roll 1/2 inch balls with the mung beans and put it on a pan. Using your hands, roll dough into a ball smaller than a golf ball then flatten it out. Put the mung bean ball in the middle and roll it into a ball. Dip and roll the ball in the sesame seeds until it is covered.
  • On medium heat, fry the sesame balls for 5-10 minutes until it is golden brown. You can check to see if it is cooked by cutting one open. The texture on the inside shouldn't be doughy. It should be clear and sticky. Be careful not to burn them.
  • Line an aluminum pan with paper towels. Once the sesame balls are cook, line them up in a pan to get rid of the excess oil. Enjoy!