Bach Ngo's Pho (Hanoi Beef Soup)

Ingredients

• 9 cups water
• 1 1/2 pounds oxtail
• chopped into 2-inch pieces
• or 2 pounds of beef bones
• 1 pound beef chuck
• in 1 piece
• 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger
• 3 shallots
• 2 star anise
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander
• 1/4 cup chopped green scallion tops
• 1 large onion
• 4 ounces bean sprouts
• 1/2 pound beef shoulder roast or round
• in 1 piece
• 1/2 pound rice stick noodles
• banh pho (see note)
• 1/4 cup nuoc mam (see note)
• 1 lemon
• cut in 8 wedges
• 1/2 tiny hot red or green chili pepper
• sliced thinly

Instructions

1. Bring 9 cups of water to a boil.
2. Add oxtail and chuck.
3. Return to boil for 10 minutes, removing scum.
4. Impale the ginger on a fork and hold it over a flame until it is blackened.
5. Do the same with shallots.
6. Add both to broth, together with star anise and cinnamon.
7. Cover and simmer gently for 3 hours.
8. While soup is simmering, chop coriander and scallions and combine.
9. Set aside.
10. Slice onion paper thin and set aside.
11. Blanch bean sprouts in boiling water for 30 seconds.
12. Remove and drain.
13. Slice round or shoulder roast into paper-thin slices.
14. This will be easier to do if the meat has first been slightly frozen.
15. About 20 minutes before serving, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil and add rice noodles.
16. Boil 5 minutes, then drain, run cold water over them and set aside.
17. When broth is done and chuck and oxtail are tender, remove meats from broth.
18. Slice chuck and remove meat from oxtail bones.
19. Remove ginger, shallots, anise and cinnamon from the broth.
20. Add nuoc mam to broth.
21. To assemble and serve the soup, set out a bowl for each guest.
22. Distribute noodles, cooked meat, and raw meat slices among the bowls.
23. Add a few sliced onions, a few bean sprouts, and sprinkle with the combined scallion and coriander.
24. Immediately before serving, pour boiling beef broth over the contents of each bowl.
25. This will slightly cook the raw beef.
26. Serve accompanied by a platter with the remaining bean sprouts and onion rings, the lemon wedges and the hot pepper slices.
27. Serve additional nuoc mam for those who prefer a saltier taste.