More pregnancy cravings. I have to admit I had some pretty icky ones when pregnant with my daughter - Big Macs, anyone? This time around my tastes are considerably more refined, if a bit far-flung. I've gone through matar paneer, Creole food, and homemade butternut squash ravioli, not to mention a comprehensive culinary tour of Asia. Last night just as I was dozing off, I realized I simply had to have a hot, steaming bowl of pho. Since a dinnertime jaunt to Viet Nam (or any decent Vitenamese restaurant) was out of the question, I took an afternoon trip to my favorite market today, and spent the evening in the kitchen.
I really, really, really like soup. Any kind of soup. Even when I'm not pregnant. I think God, Siddhartha, and Mohammed all got together one day and decided to create the perfect food. And on the sixth day, there was soup, and they saw that it was good.
But what is pho? A rich beef soup with chewy rice noodles of the sort often used in Thai soups. Tasty toppings abound and include sliced beef, Thai basil, chiles, and scallions. It's traditionally eaten for breakfast or lunch, but is good hearty fare any time of day. If you've never tried Vietnamese food, this is the dish to start with. The ingredients are available pretty much anywhere, and it is not spicy and contains no really exotic or potentially offensive flavors. The traditionally Asian flavors of ginger, fish sauce, and star anise in the broth are very mild and take a backseat to rich, hearty beef. It is said that good pho broth needs to simmer at least 24 hours; Mai Pham's recipe takes only about 2 hours, and is very, very tasty. I do make it her way often enough, but if you have considerably less than 2-3 hours to put on a filling, delicious, and fairly impressive meal, try it this way:
45-Minute Pho
serves about 6
This recipe is gluten-free, but I know you celiacs know to check your stock and fish sauce labels just to be safe.
3 quarts good quality beef stock, broth, or boullion
2 3-inch pieces of ginger root, halved lengthwise and then cut into 1-inch chunks
8 star anise pods, toasted
5 whole cloves, toasted
1 pound of top sirloin, frozen
1 16-ounce package of rice stick noodles (the narrow, linguine-sized variety)
TOPPINGS (use any or all, more is better):
4-6 baby bok choy, leafy parts only, sliced
6 whole Thai chiles, sliced into thin rings
8-10 sprigs of Thai basil, leaves torn
3 scallions, finely sliced
1 pound bean sprouts
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 lime, cut into 6 wedges
hoisin or plum sauce
Sriracha (hot chile sauce)
Combine broth, ginger, and half of the sirloin (in one whole piece) in a stock pot and bring to a boil. Boil 5 minutes, skimming off any foam or impurities from the beef. Tie the star anise and cloves into a spice bag (or cheesecloth or muslin) and add to the stock. Simmer 40 minutes, covered, occasionally skimming if needed. Place noodles in lukewarm water and soak for 30 minutes. Slice the other half of the frozen sirloin into paper-thin slices with a very sharp knife and set aside to thaw. Other toppings can be prepared while noodles soak and broth simmers. Arrange toppings for serving; they look very pretty in piles on a large serving platter (except for the sauces).
When noodles are done soaking, heat your soup bowls by filling them with boiling water left in until serving time. Keep broth simmering through the last steps. Remove sirloin from simmering broth and cut into paper-thin slices and set aside with the raw beef. Bring 2-3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot, enough to immerse noodles in. Once boiling, toss noodles in and cook very quickly, usually only 30 seconds or so, until cooked but still chewy. Drain noodles and empty water from bowls; divide steaming noodles into bowls and top with cooked and raw beef slices. Ladle on simmering broth and serve. Add any desired toppings at the table.
I really, really, really like soup. Any kind of soup. Even when I'm not pregnant. I think God, Siddhartha, and Mohammed all got together one day and decided to create the perfect food. And on the sixth day, there was soup, and they saw that it was good.
But what is pho? A rich beef soup with chewy rice noodles of the sort often used in Thai soups. Tasty toppings abound and include sliced beef, Thai basil, chiles, and scallions. It's traditionally eaten for breakfast or lunch, but is good hearty fare any time of day. If you've never tried Vietnamese food, this is the dish to start with. The ingredients are available pretty much anywhere, and it is not spicy and contains no really exotic or potentially offensive flavors. The traditionally Asian flavors of ginger, fish sauce, and star anise in the broth are very mild and take a backseat to rich, hearty beef. It is said that good pho broth needs to simmer at least 24 hours; Mai Pham's recipe takes only about 2 hours, and is very, very tasty. I do make it her way often enough, but if you have considerably less than 2-3 hours to put on a filling, delicious, and fairly impressive meal, try it this way:
45-Minute Pho
serves about 6
This recipe is gluten-free, but I know you celiacs know to check your stock and fish sauce labels just to be safe.
3 quarts good quality beef stock, broth, or boullion
2 3-inch pieces of ginger root, halved lengthwise and then cut into 1-inch chunks
8 star anise pods, toasted
5 whole cloves, toasted
1 pound of top sirloin, frozen
1 16-ounce package of rice stick noodles (the narrow, linguine-sized variety)
TOPPINGS (use any or all, more is better):
4-6 baby bok choy, leafy parts only, sliced
6 whole Thai chiles, sliced into thin rings
8-10 sprigs of Thai basil, leaves torn
3 scallions, finely sliced
1 pound bean sprouts
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 lime, cut into 6 wedges
hoisin or plum sauce
Sriracha (hot chile sauce)
Combine broth, ginger, and half of the sirloin (in one whole piece) in a stock pot and bring to a boil. Boil 5 minutes, skimming off any foam or impurities from the beef. Tie the star anise and cloves into a spice bag (or cheesecloth or muslin) and add to the stock. Simmer 40 minutes, covered, occasionally skimming if needed. Place noodles in lukewarm water and soak for 30 minutes. Slice the other half of the frozen sirloin into paper-thin slices with a very sharp knife and set aside to thaw. Other toppings can be prepared while noodles soak and broth simmers. Arrange toppings for serving; they look very pretty in piles on a large serving platter (except for the sauces).
When noodles are done soaking, heat your soup bowls by filling them with boiling water left in until serving time. Keep broth simmering through the last steps. Remove sirloin from simmering broth and cut into paper-thin slices and set aside with the raw beef. Bring 2-3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot, enough to immerse noodles in. Once boiling, toss noodles in and cook very quickly, usually only 30 seconds or so, until cooked but still chewy. Drain noodles and empty water from bowls; divide steaming noodles into bowls and top with cooked and raw beef slices. Ladle on simmering broth and serve. Add any desired toppings at the table.
How to (traditionally) eat pho: Toppings, as many as you like, go anywhere on top, but sauces go to one side or the other of the bowl. Use chopsticks for the noodles and a Chinese spoon for the broth. Alternate between bites of noodles and toppings, and sips of soup. If you're totally hopeless with chopsticks you can use a fork, but don't twirl your noodles up like an Italian. In Viet Nam, good manners dictate that you slurp them from the bowl.
A note on chiles and basil: If you can't find fresh Thai (or 'bird') chiles, the dried ones will do. To use these, trim off both ends, rinse the inside to remove as many seeds as possible, and then soak in warm water for 30-45 minutes. For the basil, don't substitute common sweet basil for Thai (also called holy basil). You can substitute mint instead, or leave it out altogether.
