Vietnamese Noodles

….Do you know that pho is actually tastier in the United States than in its home country, Vietnam? Well? Since I haven’t tried it to compare… I remember the chef saying confidently. Many Vietnamese people who immigrated to the United States are known to have elevated their traditional dish, pho, using high-quality ingredients found in the United States, boasting the rich flavors it has today. The rich broth adds depth to the flavor and is so delicious that people often finish every last drop in their bowls. I remember when I first tried pho with my eldest daughter LACEY; we even made a bet to see if our descriptions matched. We had different opinions on whether the meat put on top was beef or pork, so we even made a bet to confirm it. Thinly sliced beef looked like pork belly to me, and I insisted on it, but LACEY asked the restaurant owner and said, “Mom, it’s beef brisket!” She laughed while correcting me. The taste was indeed beef, but it looked like pork belly… Why did I argue like that? LACEY must have been confident when she saw the menu… Maybe I was just trying to tease my daughter! I tried seasoning with rich beef brisket broth instead of various spices, using it solely as a base for the fish sauce. The fish sauce is truly precious and delicious, and I seasoned it with the gift my second son-in-law STEVE gave me. He is a really sweet son-in-law. I’m grateful for this thoughtful gift, and I appreciate it every time I use it in cooking. It was so delicious that it reminded me of my grandson, SIWOO, who loves rich beef broth….. That rich broth of pho brings back memories!

Servings: 2

Time: 20 minutes, plus an additional 3 hours for making beef broth

Ingredients:

1. 2 lb beef brisket, soaked in cold water for 1–2 hours
2. 3000 ml water
3. 150 g dried rice noodles, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes
4. 1 lime, sliced thinly
5. red and green chili peppers
6. fresh mint leaves
7. some cilantro for garnish
8. 1000 ml beef broth
9. 4 tbsp fish sauce(or 2 tbsp anchovy sauce + 2 tbsp crab fish sauce)
10. 250 g mung bean sprouts

Cooking Instructions:

1. Soak the beef brisket in cold water for 2 hours and then drain the water.

2. Turn the heat to high and bring the water and beef brisket to a boil in a large pot for 2 hours.

3. After 2 hours, remove the meat and allow it to cool down.

4. After cooling, slice the beef thinly. Set aside.

5. Leave the beef broth in a cool place overnight. The oil will harden and float to the top. Remove the fat.

6. Place the dried rice noodles on a tray and add 4 cups of water to the tray. Allow them to soak for 30 minutes.

7. After 30 minutes, strain the rice noodles using a strainer.

8. Heat a pot over medium-high heat and bring 1000 ml of beef broth to a boil in the pot.

9. Add fish sauce to the pot. Adjust the seasoning if needed by adding more fish sauce.

10. Poach the rice noodles in the beef broth for 2 minutes.

11. Place the rice noodles in a serving bowl.

12. Place the mung bean sprouts, sliced beef, mint leaves, some sliced limes, cilantro and chili peppers on top of the rice noodles.

13. Pour the hot beef broth into the bowl and serve immediately.

You can also view this recipe on instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CyTJHmCr2TG/?img_index=1