Saigon-Style Beef Pho

Ingredients

For the Broth:
• Chubby 4-inch section ginger, unpeeled
• 1 lb. (450g) yellow onion, unpeeled
• 6 lbs. (2.7kg) beef marrow, knuckle and neck bones
• 5 1/2 qts. water
• 5 star anise (40 robust points total)
• 6 whole cloves
• 1 husky (3 inch) cinnamon
• 1 1/2 lbs. (675g) boneless beef brisket, chuck or cross-rib roast, cut into 2 pieces
• 1/2 oz. (15g) Chinese yellow rock sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fine sea salt
• About 1/4 cup fish sauce

For the Meatballs:
• 1 clove garlic. minced and mashed with a knife or put through a press
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons potato starch or cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 lb. (450g) ground chuck or 85% lean ground beef
• Splash of canola oil or other neutral oil

For the Bowls:
• 1 1/4 lbs. (565g) dried narrow flat rice noodles, or 2 lbs. (900g) fresh pho noodles
• Cooked beef from the broth, sliced about 1/8 inch thick
• 1/2 medium yellow or red onion, thinly sliced against the grain and soaked in water 10 minutes
• 3 or 4 thinly sliced green onions, green parts only
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, leafy tops only
• Hoisin sauce
• Chile sauce (sriracha or sambal oelek works well)
• 2 handfuls bean sprouts
• 2 or 3 sprigs mint, regular or spicy
• 2 or 3 sprigs Thai basil
• 3 or 4 fresh culantro leaves
• 2 or 3 sprigs rice paddy herbs
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 1 Thai chile or 1/2 jalapeno, Fresno or serrano chile, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. First make the broth. Char the vegetables on medium heat directly on a gas or medium electric coil burner or in a broiler. Let the skin get splotchy with black, and use the tongs to occasionally rotate and grab and discard flyaway skin. After 10 to 15 minutes, when they vegetables have softened slightly and become sweetly fragrant, remove from the heat and let cool for about 10 minutes. You do not have to blacken the entire surface. Remove the charred skin from the cooled onions and rinse under running water to dislodge stubborn dark bits. Trim off and discard the blackened root and stem ends. Halve or quarter each and set aside. Use a vegetable peeler or edge of a spoon to remove the ginger skin. Rinse under warm water to remove the blacked bits.Halve the ginger lengthwise ,cut into chunks, then bruise slightly (use the broad side of a knife or meat mallet).
2. In a 12-quarter stockpot, add the bones and just enough water to barely cover. Partially cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Uncover and let boil vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes to release the foamy impurities. Dump the water into the sink and rinse off any residue on the bones. Scrub the pot clean and return the bones to the pot.
3. Pour in the water, partially cover, the bring to a boil over high heat. Uncover and lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Use a ladle or skimmer to remove any scum that rises to the top. Add the charred ginger and onions, plus the star anise, cloves, cinnamon, boneless beef, rock sugar and salt. Bring to a simmer, adjust the heat and gently simmer, uncovered, for 3 hours.
4. At the 1 1/2-hour mark, remove the boneless beef, which should feel firm (it will be easier to thinly slice later). Transfer to a bowl, add water to cover, and soak for 10 minutes to prevent dry, dark meat. Drain and set the meat aside, partially covered, to cool completely before using, refrigerating for up toe 3 days, or freezing for up to 3 months. Meanwhile, maintain the broth at a steady simmer for the remaining 1 1/2 hours.
5. In the meantime, make the meatballs. Put the garlic, pepper, baking powder, sugar, sesame oil, starch, fish sauce and water into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times to blend the seasonings. The lid often gets splattered, so remove the plunger to drop in chunks of ground beef through the feed tube. Run the machine until a rough ball forms around the blade. Let sit for 3 to 5 minutes to hydrate and season the meat.
6. Meanwhile, smear some canola oil on a platter or small baking sheet. Set aside for holding the meatballs.
7. When the meat is done resting, process the mixture for about 1 minute to achieve a relatively smooth, stiff paste. Pause to scrape the sides as needed. Transfer to a bowl. Flatten the top with a spatula to compact, then divide into 4 wedges.
8. To make a meatball, use two small spoons to scoop up about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the meatball mixture. Pass it back and forth between the spoons to compact and shape into a meatball a generous 1 inch wide. Deposit on the oiled platter. You'll have about 24 in total when done. Slightly oil your hands, then roll each into a smooth, lightly shiny meatball. Loosely cover to prevent drying.
9. Fill a pot with water to a depth of your index finger, about 2 1/2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to low. Have a bowl of ice water nearby.
10. Add the meatballs to the pot until they cover the bottom. (Do this in batches, if needed.) Raise the heat to medium and give the pot a stir or two to nudge the meatballs around.
11. They'll quickly or slowly float to the surface. Regardless, aim to gently poach them until they swell by about 25 percent and are just cooked through; if you cut one to check, a slight pink or purple in the center is okay. The cooking may take as long as 10 minutes.
12. When done, scoop the meatballs from the pot and drop into the ice water; let cool for about 3 minutes before transferring to a bowl or container to finish cooking. Meanwhile, repeat as needed to poach the remaining meatballs.
13. When the broth is done, let rest for 20 minutes to settle the impurities and further concentrate the flavor. Use tongs to remove bones and any large, retrievable bits. Discard the solids.
14. Skim some fat from the broth, then strain it through a muslin-lined mesh strainer positioned over a large pot. You should have about 4 quarters.
15. If using the broth right away, season it with the fish sauce and with extra salt and rock sugar. When cooking in advance, partially cover the unseasoned broth, let cool, then refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months; reheat and season before using.
16. About 30 minutes before serving, read ingredients for the bowls. Soak dried noodles in hot water until pliable and opaque; drain, rinse, then let drain well. If using fresh noodles, untangle or separate them and snip as needed. Divide the noodles among 8 soup bowls.
17. Cut the cooked beef. Halve or quarter the meatballs and drop them into the broth to reheat for a few minutes; a hard boil can toughen the meatball.
18. Place the onion, green onion and cilantro in separate bowls. Line them up with the noodles, beef toppings and pepper for a pho assembly line. Set the broth on medium heat or reheat and bring a pot of water to a boil for the noodles.
19. For each bowl, place a portion of the noodles in a noodle strainer or mesh sieve and dunk in the boiling water. When the noodles are soft, 5 to 60 seconds, lift the strainer from the pot, shaking it to force excess water back into the pot. Empty the noodles into a bowl. Top with the cooked beef and meatballs. Shower on the onion, green onion and cilantro. Finish with a sprinkle of pepper.
20. Check the broth flavor once more, then raise the heat to bring it to a boil. Ladle about 2 cups broth into each bowl. Serve immediately with the other extras at the table.

Notes