Amazeballs Pho Broth

the finished product with all the accoutrements

Y'ALL. THIS RECIPE IS EXHAUSTING.

I would not recommend tackling this unless you have 2 days with no other responsibilities, access to a good spice shop, and have a very large stock pot (like the kind you boil lobsters in).

I cried when making this - twice. The first crying session happened around hour 11. The second session happened after tasting the final broth because it was SO GOOD.

10 lbs beef bones (I used oxtails, short ribs, marrow, and knuckle)

2 medium yellow onions, peeled and quartered

2 whole garlic heads, halved

4 pieces of ginger, approximately 2 inches each, sliced lengthwise

5 whole star anise

12 cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

2 cardamom pods

2 TB fennel seeds

2 TB salt

2/3 cup fish sauce (nuoc mam), divided

4 TB rock sugar, divided

2 TB soy sauce

Salt, to taste

A square of cheesecloth (5" x 5") and a piece of kitchen string or one of those spice sachet bags

BLANCHING

Blanch the bones by putting them in the stock pot and covering them with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain and rinse the bones with water. Clean the stock pot.

ROASTING

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Transfer the bones, onion, garlic, and ginger to roasting pans in one layer and roast them for 30 minutes, turn the bones over, then roast for another 30 minutes.

TOASTING

Meanwhile, add all the spices to a dry skillet over low heat. Toast, stirring often, until it becomes fragrant (about 5 minutes). Transfer the spices to the cheesecloth, gather it at the top, and tie it closed with kitchen string.

THE NEVERENDING SIMMERING

Transfer the roasted bones and veggies to the clean stock pot. Scrape up any brown bits from the roasting pan and add that to the pot. Add the spice packet to the pot. Add about 12 cups of water (or until the bones are fully submerged), 1/3 cup of fish sauce, and 2 TB rock sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, with the lid slightly ajar for a minimum of 6 hours and up to 24 hours. Occasionally skim any foam or excess fat from the pot. Add more water, if needed, to make sure the bones stay submerged.

STRAINING

After the simmer time, strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer into a clean pot. Pick the bones clean of any meat and save it for the actual soup.

FINAL SEASONING

Add a bit of salt, soy sauce, fish sauce, and rock sugar, to taste.

DEFATTING (optional - fat is flavor so I tend to not do this step)

Transfer the broth to the refrigerator and let it cool overnight. The fat will solidify and can be removed easily. Your cold broth should have the texture of brown Jell-O.

And you know what to do with the broth from here.