Vietnam

Menu: Phở Bò | Recipe Source: www.recipetineats.com

A Confession: I brought my good camera with me to H-Mart today while shopping for pho supplies because 1) I thought it would be fun to take pictures of all the interesting ingredients 2) I seriously love this store THAT much. The pros: I successfully documented the color explosion/sensory assault that is the soy sauce aisle. The cons: It took me about 10 seconds to realize that taking photos on a real camera at a grocery store makes you look like you’re a private investigator hot on the trail of some insurance fraudster and/or working for the FBI, so the photoshoot was extremely short-lived.

A Note: Grocery stores like Jewel, King Soopers, and Whole Foods charge absolutely EXORBITANT prices for the whole spices you need to make pho broth (full star anise, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, etc.) and it’s a total scam! Whether you’re trying to use these aromatics for pho, fall cider, hot toddies, or cocktail garnish, skip your local grocery store and head to an H-Mart (or any sort of ethnic grocery store) instead. You’ll get double the amount for 1/3 of the cost, and I promise you’ll never look back. (Example: Whole Foods sells cinnamon sticks for $8 for 8-10 pieces. H-Mart sells 20 sticks for around $6, and they taste/smell just as good. The only difference is that the Whole Foods sticks come in a glass jar and the H-Mart sticks come in a crinkly bag, but you can just transfer them to an airtight Tupperware after opening).

Thoughts: Pho feels like a hug. It’s me and Anthony’s #1 “just got back from the airport” meal, but we always order out and I’ve never tried to make it myself! Having to simmer the broth for four hours makes this recipe inherently time-consuming, but compared to other dinners from the Cooking Around the World project, it was super hands-off and delightfully straight to the point. Aside from uncovering the pot once every hour and giving things a quick stir, the soup just quietly sat on the stove and minded its business until it was time for straining. Add in how affordable the ingredients were and how good the spices made the house smell and it should be pretty easy to see why this one was a total homerun.

Ready to cook?

Brisket Pho: www.recipetineats.com/vietnamese-pho-recipe/

Alterations: 

• I used cardamom seeds instead of whole pods but solely because I already had them on hand from when I did Togo and I wanted to use them up.
• I didn’t add in any new spices for the broth, but I did add a larger amount of them than the recipe called for (probably 1/2x). I also added six garlic cloves (halved), ten cilantro stems, and four Pho Ga cubes instead of salt.
• Lastly, I’m an unrepentant beansprouts hater, so I swapped them for daintier alfalfa sprouts. I also chose jalapenos for garnish instead of red chilis.