Pho Bo: Beef Bone Broth with Rice Noodles and Rare Beef

Megan Fischer @cheery-quinceAug 13, 2026

23 ingredients

15 steps

What you need

2.5 kg (5 1/2 lb) beef marrow and knuckle bones
700 g (1 1/2 lb) beef brisket, in one piece
4.5 l (4 3/4 quarts) water, for the broth
2 yellow onions, unpeeled, halved
1 piece fresh ginger, about 10 cm (4 in)
5 star anise, whole
1 cinnamon stick
6 whole cloves
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 black cardamom pods, lightly cracked
30 g (1 oz) rock sugar
1 tbsp salt, plus more to taste
60 ml (1/4 cup) fish sauce, plus more to taste
500 g (1 lb) dried flat rice noodles, pho noodles, medium width
300 g (10 oz) beef sirloin or eye of round, partly frozen, sliced paper-thin
1 small white onion, sliced paper-thin
4 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 handful cilantro, chopped
200 g (2 cups) bean sprouts, for serving
1 bunch Thai basil, for serving
2 limes, cut into wedges
2 red chilies, sliced, for serving

Method

Restated from the original video

1
Put the bones in a large pot, cover with cold water and bring to a hard boil for 6-7 min. Drain, rinse each bone under cold running water and scrub the pot clean.
2
Char the onion halves and ginger directly over a gas flame or under a hot grill, turning, until blackened in patches, about 10 min. Peel off the burnt onion skin and scrape the ginger, then rinse both.
3
Toast the star anise, cinnamon, cloves, coriander seeds, fennel seeds and cardamom in a dry pan over low heat, stirring, until fragrant, 5-7 min. Tie them in a muslin bag.
4
Return the bones to the clean pot with the measured water, the brisket, charred onion and ginger, rock sugar and salt. Bring slowly to a boil, skimming off all the foam.
5
Lower the heat so the surface barely trembles and simmer with the lid ajar. Skim every 30 min and never let it boil hard, or the broth turns cloudy.
6
After about 1 1/2 hours, test the brisket with a chopstick. When it slides in easily, lift it into a bowl of cold water for 10 min, then wrap and chill it.
7
Keep the broth simmering for at least 1 1/2 hours more. Add the spice bag for the last 40 min.
8
Strain the broth through a fine sieve lined with muslin into a clean pot. Skim off most of the fat, then season with the fish sauce and more salt until it tastes rich and slightly salty.
9
While the broth finishes, soak the noodles in warm water until limp, about 20 min.
10
Slice the cold brisket thinly across the grain. Lay out the raw beef slices on a plate.
11
Set out the bean sprouts, Thai basil, lime wedges and chilies on a platter.
12
Bring the broth to a full rolling boil. Blanch a portion of the noodles in a separate pot of boiling water until just tender, 30-60 seconds, drain and drop into a deep bowl. Repeat for each bowl.
13
Top the noodles with brisket slices, a few slices of raw beef and some sliced onion.
14
Ladle the boiling broth straight over the raw beef so it turns pale pink at once. Finish with spring onions and cilantro.
15
Serve with the platter so everyone can add herbs, sprouts, chilies and a squeeze of lime.

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About pho

Rice noodles in a clear beef broth simmered with star anise and charred onion and ginger, topped with thin-sliced beef, herbs, and lime, assembled at the table to taste.

What cooks argue about

Cooks argue over charring the onion and ginger before simmering, which deepens the broth's color and smoke, versus adding them raw, which keeps the broth cleaner but less complex.

What usually goes in