Pho Tai Recipe

Occasionally, I will take my family to that Vietnam restaurant for good pho tai dinner. It is very rare good find in Salem, OR after disappointed with all many restaurants that served all American Craps--I am sorry because it is how I had seen on their menu and get the meals--but few restaurants that I am glad with their good food. Suddenly, this little restaurant, Super Pho, became my favorite restaurant for good super Pho Tai. It is kind of national dish--delicious soup that are made with broth and few meats with noodles along with good fixings, sprouts, basil leaves, lime wedges and good slices of jalapenos. That gave me best satisfication and warm my tummy during the cold night.

One of my favorite dishes, I will be very glad to sit down and sipping good broth while avoiding the jalapeno slices in dish--that I always save them for good spicy bites with cooked meat. I always like good soups than taking lot of salts in soups that are pre-made after open them from boxes, bags and whatever pouches.

This kind of recipe that I looked at is kind of similar soup I had eaten at Super Pho. I am sure that a Chef there don't tell me how he made it that way or this way. I wanna try to make something at home so I don't have to go there during the cold night. Always fun to try new recipe at home.

Bon Appetit!

Pho Tai Recipe

For the broth

4 pounds oxtails; cut into 1 1/2 to 2-inch pieces and trimmed of fat

2 gallons cold water (approximately)

One 3-inch piece of ginger, unpeeled

1 large onion, halved and unpeeled

1/3 cup nuoc mam (Vietnamese fish sauce)

8 whole star anise pods

5 whole cloves

One 3-inch cinnamon stick, broken into 3/4 to 1 inch pieces

1 teaspoon fennel seeds, lightly crushed

3 bay leaves

1 pound 1/4-inch rice noodles

3/4 pounds filet mignon, trimmed of fat and very thinly sliced

For the garnish:

2 bunches scallions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup tightly packed fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

1/2 cup parsley, roughly chopped

1/2 cup Thai basil leaves (found at Thai or Asian markets; you an subsititute regular basil if unavailable

1-1/2 cups mung bean sprouts

3 large limes, cut into wedges

Hoisin sauce (optional)

Sriracha red chile sauce (optional)

Chile-garlic paste (optional)

Sliced fresh hot chilies (optional)

Put the oxtails into a large stockpot and add enough cold water to cover the bones by 4 inches (about 2 gallons). Bring to a full boil and then immediately lower the heat to a simmer. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface.

Meanwhile put the ginger and onion halves on a greased baking sheet and place the sheet under the broiler, about 3 inches below the flame. Char the ginger and onion until they're lightly blackened, about 10 to 15 minutes. Turn them over halfway through cooking. When they're cool enough to handle, rinse the onion and ginger under cold running water, using a knife to scrape away some of the charred surface. Cut the ginger into 3 pieces and add it and the onion halves to the simmering broth, along with 1 tablespoon salt and the fish sauce (which doesn't smell as bad when it's added to other ingredients and cooked).

Put the star anise, cloves, and pieces of cinnamon stick in a small skillet and toast them over medium heat. Shake the skillet and turn the spices a couple of times until they're slightly darkened (3 to 4 minutes) and until you smell the aroma of their essential oils being released (which smells really good). Make a sachet d'épices -- put the toasted spices and fennel seeds in a small square of cheesecloth (or a large tea ball) and tie the bundle with a long piece of kitchen twine. Add the sachet and the bay leaves to the broth. Tie the end of the twine the pot handle -- that makes it easy to retrieve it after cooking.

Let the broth simmer uncovered for 4 hours, occasionally skimming any additional scum that may form. (This will make the house smell incredible -- the aroma will waft into every room. This makes phở a great dish to make when you're spending a leisurely day at home, or if you need to do housecleaning).

After 4 hours remove the sachet, onion, bay leaves and ginger from the pot and discard. Remove the oxtails from the pot and set aside. Let the broth continue to simmer gently.

When the meat has cooled, pull it off the bones and chop it into small bits. Reserve the meat and return the bones to the broth. (This step will extract all the gelatin from the bones, making a very full-bodied stock, as well as extra flavor.) Continue simmering uncovered for about 1 more hour. Add more salt or fish sauce to taste as needed. By this time the broth should be incredibly flavorful and aromatic.

As the broth nears completion, soak the rice noodles in cold water for at least 20 minutes. Nicely arrange the sliced scallions, cilantro, parsley, Thai basil, bean sprouts, lime wedges, and sliced chiles on plates -- these garnishes will be served along with the phở.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the drained rice noodles. Give the noodles a quick stir and cook until tender but firm, about 1 minute only (don't let the noodles overcook, or you'll be left with a pile of stringy gummy paste). Drain the noodles immediately. Warm 6 large bowls by rinsing them with hot water and divide the noodles among the bowls.

Just before serving, return the broth to a full boil. Arrange the slices of raw beef and pieces of cooked oxtail meat over the noodles in each bowl. Carefully ladle the boiling broth over all; the raw beef should be submerged in the broth, and the heat from the broth will quickly begin to cook it. (I like pulling it out when medium rare, and setting some of it aside.)

Serve immediately, along with a platter of garnish for each serving. The technique is for each person to season his or her individual bowl of phở, adding fresh herbs as you go along (keeps the flavor bright and fresh, particularly for the cilantro), more or less chiles, sauces, etc. You keep building as you go, and each bowl is tailored to your own individual taste. (It's fun to eat this way, too!)

Yield: 16 cups of broth; serves 6 as a main course