Recipe Index

Ingredients

• 2 large onions, halved
• 5¼ oz ginger, halved lengthways
• 10 star anise
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 4 cardamom pods
• 3 cloves
• 1 1/2 tbsp coriander seeds
• 3 lb 5 oz beef brisket
• 2 lb 3 oz meaty beef bones
• 2 lb 3 oz marrow bones, cut to reveal the marrow
• 3¾ qt water
• 2 tbsp white sugar
• 1 tbsp salt
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 1¾ oz dried rice sticks per serving, prepared, or 4¼ oz fresh
• 1 oz beef tenderloin per serving, raw and very thinly sliced
• 3-5 slices cooked brisket per serving
• bean sprouts, a handful per bowl
• Thai basil, 3-5 sprigs per bowl
• coriander, 3-5 sprigs per bowl
• lime wedges, to serve
• finely sliced red chilli, to serve
• hoisin sauce, to serve
• hot chilli sauce, to serve

Method

1. Char the onion halves and ginger cut-side down in a dry heavy pan or under a hot grill for 8-10 minutes until blackened in spots. Rinse off loose char.
2. Toast the star anise, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and coriander seeds in a dry pan for 2-3 minutes until fragrant, then tie in muslin or a spice bag.
3. Place the brisket and all the bones in a large stockpot, cover with the water and bring to the boil. Boil hard for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse the meat and bones and clean the pot to remove impurities.
4. Return the meat and bones to the pot with fresh water to cover (about 3¾ qt), the charred onion and ginger and the spice bag. Simmer gently, never boiling hard, for 3 hours, skimming as needed. Remove the brisket after about 1 1/2 hours when tender, chill it so it slices cleanly, and continue simmering the broth.
5. Strain the broth, discard the solids and skim off the fat. Season with the sugar, salt and fish sauce, adjusting until savoury, slightly sweet and aromatic. Keep at a bare simmer.
6. Cook the rice noodles until just tender and divide among warmed bowls. Top each with slices of cooked brisket and the raw tenderloin slices.
7. Ladle the piping-hot broth over the top to cook the raw beef. Serve immediately with bean sprouts, herbs, lime, chilli, hoisin and hot chilli sauce at the table.

Prep: 20 min · Cook: 180 min · Total: 200 min

Nutrition (per serving, where published)

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data