ET's Yum-Yum Pho

Dear Blog,

This entry is about my first experience making Pho. I absolutely love this Vietnamese traditional soup, and was not even remotely sure how it was made. However, I looked up some sites and recipes on the net, and I was brave enough to try. Now my pictorial story!

I split up the ingredients into two teams! The Pre-cook team, and then the post-cook team. Then I start with the Pre-cook team.

First I take my beef bones (not very good choice of beef bones my frist time around, not even bones! I hear knuckle bone is a good choice, and will try it next time) and parboil them (boil them for 10 - 15 minutes before actually cooking). I take two yellow onions and split them in half. I do the same with the 4" - 5" nubbin' of ginger. Stick them in your broiler on HI. After about 10 - 15 minutes you should have some nicely charred veggies. Your beef bones should be done too, just scoop up and scum on surface and toss that in the trash or sink.

Alright, I throw everything into the slow cooker, and I add some sugar, salt, beef broth (cause I didn't use real bones) + water, and fish sauce. I let this cook for about 8 hours in the slow cooker on low.

Ok! 8 hours have passed and I'm ready to prepare the post-cook team. I get a nice big bowl, put some rice noodles into it. Then Itake some nice steak and slice it very thin and put it in your bowl. I chilled my steak for a little bit in the freezer so it was easier to cut thinly.

Add hot broth!!! Let is set for about 5 minutes. Mix in some lime, hoison sauce, chili sauce. If you have mint leaves and bean sprout, those are great too! EAT!

My first experience was near Pho quality, but I think I screwed up cause I bought the wrong kind of bones (not bones at all, just ribs with small bones in them.). The ribs also made it extra greasy, which I could feel all over my hands after eating a bowl of Pho. Colleen and I totally enjoyed eating it, and I really want to add this to something I cook often.