For the broth:
4 pounds oxtails; cut into 1 1/2 to 2-inch pieces and trimmed of fat
2 gallons cold water (approximately)
One 3-inch piece of ginger, unpeeled
1 large onion, halved and unpeeled
1/3 cup nuoc mam (Vietnamese fish sauce)
8 whole star anise pods
5 whole cloves
One 3-inch cinnamon stick, broken into 3/4 to 1 inch pieces
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, lightly crushed
3 bay leaves
1 pound 1/4-inch rice noodles (I usually use Erawan Brand (three-headed elephant) "Oriental Style Noodle, Banh Pho," Size S" which is smaller than 1/4", you could also use size "M")
3/4 pounds filet mignon, trimmed of fat and very thinly sliced (or just use a good quality beef)
For the garnish:
2 bunches scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup tightly packed fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 cup parsley, roughly chopped
1/2 cup Thai basil leaves (found at Thai or Asian markets; you an subsititute regular basil if unavailable
1-1/2 cups mung bean sprouts
3 large limes, cut into wedges
Hoisin sauce (optional)
Sriracha red chile sauce (optional)
Chile-garlic paste (optional)
Sliced fresh hot chilies (optional)
Put the oxtails into a large stockpot and add enough cold water to cover the bones by 4 inches (about 2 gallons). Bring to a full boil and then immediately lower the heat to a simmer. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface.
Meanwhile put the ginger and onion halves on a greased baking sheet and place the sheet under the broiler, about 3 inches below the flame. Char the ginger and onion until they're lightly blackened, about 10 to 15 minutes. Turn them over halfway through cooking. When they're cool enough to handle, rinse the onion and ginger under cold running water, using a knife to scrape away some of the charred surface. Cut the ginger into 3 pieces and add it and the onion halves to the simmering broth, along with 1 tablespoon salt and the fish sauce (which doesn't smell as bad when it's added to other ingredients and cooked).
Put the star anise, cloves, and pieces of cinnamon stick in a small skillet and toast them over medium heat. Shake the skillet and turn the spices a couple of times until they're slightly darkened (3 to 4 minutes) and until you smell the aroma of their essential oils being released (which smells really good). Make a sachet d'épices -- put the toasted spices and fennel seeds in a small square of cheesecloth (or a large tea ball) and tie the bundle with a long piece of kitchen twine. Add the sachet and the bay leaves to the broth. Tie the end of the twine the pot handle -- that makes it easy to retrieve it after cooking.
Let the broth simmer uncovered for 4 hours, occasionally skimming any additional scum that may form. (This will make the house smell incredible -- the aroma will waft into every room. This makes pho a great dish to make when you're spending a leisurely day at home, or if you need to do housecleaning).
After 4 hours remove the sachet, onion, bay leaves and ginger from the pot and discard. Remove the oxtails from the pot and set aside. At this point I will usually filter the broth through a clean cheese cloth and seive to remove all extraneous material and scum and return resulting clear(er) the broth to the stock pot. Let the broth continue to simmer gently.
When the meat has cooled, pull it off the bones and chop it into small bits. Reserve the meat (or pitch it and ignore references to the cooked oxtail meat below) and return the bones to the broth. (This step will extract all the gelatin from the bones, making a very full-bodied stock, as well as extra flavor.) Continue simmering uncovered for about 1 more hour. Add more salt or fish sauce to taste as needed. By this time the broth should be incredibly flavorful and aromatic.
As the broth nears completion, soak the rice noodles in cold water for at least 20 minutes. Nicely arrange the sliced scallions, cilantro, parsley, Thai basil, bean sprouts, lime wedges, and sliced chiles on plates -- these garnishes will be served along with the pho.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the drained rice noodles. Give the noodles a quick stir and cook until tender but firm, about 1 minute only (don't let the noodles overcook, or you'll be left with a pile of stringy gummy paste). Drain the noodles immediately. Warm 6 large bowls by rinsing them with hot water and divide the noodles among the bowls.
Just before serving, return the broth to a full boil. Arrange the slices of raw beef and pieces of cooked oxtail meat over the noodles in each bowl. Carefully ladle the boiling broth over all; the raw beef should be submerged in the broth, and the heat from the broth will quickly begin to cook it. (I like pulling it out when medium rare, and setting some of it aside.)
Serve immediately, along with a platter of garnish for each serving. The technique is for each person to season his or her individual bowl of pho, adding fresh herbs as you go along (keeps the flavor bright and fresh, particularly for the cilantro), more or less chiles, sauces, etc. You keep building as you go, and each bowl is tailored to your own individual taste. (It's fun to eat this way, too!)
Yield: 16 cups of broth; serves 6 as a main course
