Low Sugar Vietnamese Beef Pho

Total time3 hr 30 min

Prep time30 min

Cook time3 hr

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the broth

3 lb beef marrow bones or knuckle bones
1 lb beef brisket or beef chuck
1 large yellow onion, halved
3-inch piece fresh ginger, halved lengthwise
4 whole star anise
1 cinnamon stick (about 3 inches)
4 whole cloves
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
1 tsp coriander seeds
3 tbsp fish sauce, plus more to taste
Red Boat Fish Sauce 40° North Hokan Fish Sauce Phu Quoc Fish Sauce
MW Polar Fish Sauce
Rufina Patis Fish Sauce
See all
1 tbsp sugar
Chef's tip
Use the same volume. Baking behavior varies by blend: some brown faster or stay softer, while others brown less. Follow the package's baking guidance and start checking a few minutes early.
1 tsp salt

For the noodles

12 oz dried flat rice noodles (banh pho, about ¼-inch wide)

For serving

12 oz beef eye of round or sirloin, very thinly sliced against the grain
4 scallions, thinly sliced
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
2 cups bean sprouts
1 lime, cut into wedges
2 fresh thai chiles or serrano chiles, thinly sliced (optional)
hoisin sauce, for serving (optional)
Omit this
This ingredient likely doesn’t work for the diet.
sriracha, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1
Place the beef bones in the stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 10 minutes, until the water turns gray and foamy. Drain, rinse the bones under cold running water, and scrub the pot clean. Return the bones to the pot.
2
Set a dry skillet over high heat or position an oven rack 6 inches from the broiler. Place the halved onion and ginger cut-side down in the dry skillet (or on a foil-lined baking sheet under the broiler) and cook until deeply charred and blackened in spots, about 5–7 minutes per side in the skillet or 10–12 minutes under the broiler. The surfaces should be dark brown to black — this char is what gives the broth its color and depth.

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