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!

Steamed Cabbage Rolls

Steamed Cabbage Rolls

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 1 Large Cabbage
  • 1 lb Ground meat of choice (pork, beef, turkey)
  • 1-2 Carrots
  • 3 Bean Thread Noodles bundles
  • 1/2 cup Oyster Sauce
  • 1 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
  • Salt, to taste
  • Black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • Fill a large pot with water half way. Bring it to a boil. Rinse the cabbage and cut the bottom in a square shape around the root. Some people like to take out the bottom root, but you can keep it on. Put the cabbage in the boiling water. This will help the cabbage leaves come off easier.
  • While waiting, shred and cut the carrots.
  • Flip the cabbage using a thong every 5 minutes. Be careful, it's HOT!
  • In a medium bowl, soak the bean thread noodles in warm water until the noodles are soft and loose. Drain and cut them shorter.
  • Combine the ground meat, carrots, noodles, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, salt, and black pepper.
  • Using a tong, remove some leaves from the cabbage. Cut the hard stem off the cabbage (in a triangular shape).
  • Put the fillings on the leaf. Start rolling by folding the bottom to cover the fillings, then the sides, then roll it.
  • Put the cabbage rolls in a steamer and steam it for 30 minutes.
  • Serve with sweet and chili sauce, peanut butter sauce, or hot peppers. Enjoy!

Steamed cabbage rolls are a healthier version of egg rolls. It is a healthy and low carb dish that is very easy to make. Great to eat when I want something light and to lose weight.

Cabbage rolls are cooked cabbage leaves wrapped with fillings. There are many variations of this dish. It’s a common cuisine that has spread throughout Europe, Asia, and US.

Ingredients:
  • 1 Large Cabbage
  • 1 lb Ground meat of choice (pork, beef, turkey)
  • 1-2 Carrots
  • 3 Bean Thread Noodles bundles
  • 1/2 cup Oyster Sauce
  • 1 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
  • Salt, to taste
  • Black pepper, to taste
Directions:

Fill a large pot with water half way. Bring it to a boil.

Rinse the cabbage and cut the bottom in a square shape around the root. Some people like to take out the bottom root, but you can keep it on.

Put the cabbage in the boiling water. This will help the cabbage leaves come off easier.

cabbagecabbage

While waiting, shred and cut the carrots.

Flip the cabbage using a tong every 5 minutes. Be careful, it’s HOT!

cabbage

In a medium bowl, soak the bean thread noodles in warm water until the noodles are soft and loose. Drain and cut them shorter.

bean thread noodlesbean thread noodles

Combine the ground meat, carrots, noodles, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, salt, and black pepper.

cabbage rolls stuffing

Using a thong, remove some leaves from the cabbage.

cabbage leaf

Cut the hard stem off the cabbage (in a triangular shape).

cabbage leaf

Put the fillings on the leaf. Start rolling by folding the bottom to cover the fillings, then the sides, then roll it.

cabbage leaf and stuffingcabbage roll

Put the cabbage rolls in a steamer and steam it for 30 minutes.

cabbage roll

Serve with sweet and chili sauce, peanut butter sauce, or hot peppers. Enjoy!

Steamed Cabbage RollsSteamed Cabbage Rolls

Asian Udon Noodle Soup (Khaub Piaj or Khao Piak Sen)

This soup is a Hmong and Laotian dish. It is call Khaub piaj or khao piak sen. It’s similar to chicken noodle soup. The noodles are made fresh using rice flour and tapioca starch. It is soft and chewy. This soup is perfect for the cold weather, but I still make it during the spring/summer when I want to eat it too.

To make the noodles, you’ll need:

  • 1 cup Rice Flour (Red bag)
  • 2 cups Tapioca Starch (Blue bag)
  • About 1 1/4 cups of boiling water

You can find these flours at any Asian grocery stores. Or you can buy it from Amazon. It cost more, but it’s free shipping.

In a stand mixer, pour in both of the flours. Add 1 cup of boiling water and mix. Then add 1/2 cup of water. Still mixing. Add a little bit of water at a time. If it is too dry, add more water. If it is stick, add a little bit of tapioca starch. When the mixture is in a lumpy dough form, take it out of the stand mixer. Divide the dough into thirds.

Using some tapioca starch to dust, roll 1/3 of the dough until it is 1/8 inch thick. Cut it into 1/4 inch thick or depending on how thick you like your noodles. Then dust the noodles in tapioca starch to prevent it from sticking to each other.

asian udon noodles soup asian udon noodles soup

To make the broth, you’ll need:

  • 2 cups shredded cook chicken
  • 48 oz chicken stock
  • 1 stalk lemongrass
  • Salt, to taste
  • Pepper, to taste
  • Fish sauce, to taste
  • 1-2 cups of water if needed



When the water is boiling, add noodles in. Stir the noodles to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. You’ll know when the noodles are ready when they float to the top and the liquid thickens.

garnishes

Cut green onions, cilantro, and limes to garnish.

These are the Asian sauces that I like to put in my soup: chili oil, hoisin sauce, Sriracha sauce, and soy sauce. I also add black pepper.

khaub piaj or khao piak sen

It’s totally up to you how you season your soup since everyone has different taste. For example, I like mine spicy and sour while my husband prefer his to have more hoisin and soy sauce. You can experiment with any sauces and adjust it to your taste.

Enjoy!

Asian Chicken Udon Noodle Soup (Khaub Piaj/Khao Piak Sen)

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Asian
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Rice Flour
  • 2 cups Tapioca Starch (blue bag)
  • 1 1/4 cups Boiling water
  • 1/2 cup Cilantro
  • 1/2 cup Green onions
  • 1 Lime
  • 2 cups Cooked chicken
  • 48 ooz Chicken bouillonbouillon powder
  • 1 stalk lemongrass
  • Soy Sauce
  • Sriracha Sauce Optional
  • Hoisin Sauce
  • Salt
  • Fish Sauce Optional
  • Chili Oil Optional