Pho Tai is a Vietnamese delicacy that is making waves across the world. Made with beef and rice noodles, everyone must try this delicious and fast cuisine. To learn more about this Vietnamese noodle soup, keep reading.
What is Pho Tai?
Pho Tai is a Vietnamese soup made with rice noodles and beef. Pho refers to the noodle soup while Tai is the thinly sliced raw beef that is gently cooked in the steaming broth before serving. This delicacy is popular for its adaptability, simplicity and iconic taste. Pho Tai is a light meal that keeps you full, unlike most soups which are often used for stop-gaps.
Pho Tai is a comforting meal as the broth is ideal for cooler moments. Also, you can customise the meal to your taste. For instance, you must not use beef to cook your Pho Tai. There is also the chicken Pho Tai, which can be cooked with natural spices and herbs such as star anise, ginger, clove, cinnamon, fresh basil and sprouts.
For the noodles, there are two types you can use to prepare this meal – fresh and dried noodles. The fresh noodles are soft and chewy and have a delicate texture. They are also quicker to cook, mostly blanching in boiling water before adding to the hot broth. The dried noodles need to be rehydrated before they are ready to be added to the broth. So, you have to soak them in hot water for 8 to 12 minutes or until they soften before adding them to the soup.
For the seasoning, you need either salt or rock sugar. If you cannot find rock sugar, granulated sugar will do as it can easily dissolve into water. Also, if you plan on eating Pho with raw beef, make sure it is thinly sliced so it can cook properly in the hot broth.
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Pho Tai ingredients
For the broth
- 560 grams of beef slices
- 560 grams of brisket
- 2-star anise
- 5 whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 fresh ginger slices
- 2 Slices large red onion
- 1 clove garlic (bruised)
- Salt or rock sugar to taste
For the Pho
- 1 packet of rice noodles
- ¼ cup fish sauce
- ¼ onion
- Cilantro
- Beef tenderloin which must be sliced thin.
To serve
- Bean sprouts
- Lime
- Thai basil
- Hoisin sauce (optional)
- Sriracha (optional)
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How to make Pho Tai
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: Two hours
Servings: Four
Directions
- Boil water and add the beef and brisket into it. Allow them to boil for 12 minutes.
- Remove the proteins and wash them with cold water to remove any contaminants that may cloud your soup.
- Cut the onion and ginger into two and char by using your broiler.
- Put the cinnamon, star anise, fennel seeds and cloves into a pan and roast on the stove. Make sure you toss them frequently to prevent burning.
- Wash your pot and put the washed meat back into it.
- Add the roasted spices and the cilantro roots.
- Pour in about 8 cups of water.
- Cover the pot and cook the content for about 30 minutes.
- Remove the brisket, and quickly wrap it in plastic wrap, to prevent the meat from drying out. Continue cooking the rest until the time reaches 45 minutes.
- Remove the beef and set aside.
- Sieve the broth to remove the aromatics and excess fat. If the water is not enough, add more.
- Boil the stock down to concentrate it more.
- For your Pho, rehydrate the rice noodles by soaking them in warm water until they are no longer hard. Drain the water away and set the noodles aside.
- Add the fish sauce to the stock and put on low heat. You can add salt or rock sugar to taste.
- Slice onion thinly and set aside. Do the same to the beef tenderloin and cooked brisket.
- Add water to a large pot and boil. Then, add in the rehydrated noodles and cook for a minute. Drain off the water to prevent them getting too soft.
- Serve some noodles in a bowl first, then add the sliced onions, cilantro, brisket and raw tenderloin. Pour in the steaming broth over them. Cut the lime into four pieces and add to the side of the dish. You can also add the Thai Basil on top. Your Pho Tai is ready to be enjoyed with any side servings of your choice.
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