The October 2009 Daring Cooks’ challenge was brought to us by Jaden of the blog Steamy Kitchen. The recipes are from her new cookbook, The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook.
Welcome to my very first attempt at a Daring Cook’s Challenge! Although I joined a couple of months ago, we were so busy with child care and moving that I just didn’t book off enough time from everyday life to sit down, write out the recipe and get to experimenting with food I’ve never made before. Joining the Daring Kitchen is supposed to challenge my inner epicurean. So far, it’s made me cower in a corner making easy & simple (yet tasty) dishes that I am intimately familiar with instead of branching out and gettin’ dirty.
Well, let’s take this as my next step. The next step to pushing myself beyond my comfort zone, to not limiting myself because of my current knowledge. Life is about learning, a constant process that is ever evolving. We cannot remain static just as the seasons cannot do so. If my hunger cannot be sated it is most likely because it is somehow related to my hunger for knowledge. Let’s hope these challenges will fulfill that need and spark in me some creativity that I am always looking for.
Surprisingly enough, I’ve never actually eaten Pho in a restaurant or anywhere else for that matter. I have been to Vietnamese restaurants, but I don’t recall ever ordering this wonderful national dish. What a mistake that was. This has got to be one of the most complex and extraordinary tasting soups I’ve ever had. The roasted spices brought out such a deep, intense flavour in the dish. The addition, in the end, of the accompaniments, only added to my fascination. Such a light and fun meal, spicy for those who want and it utterly mild for those who don’t.
My only alteration to the recipe was to cook my broth for 2 hours instead of 20 minutes. I did use store bought stock, but because I bought such a large piece of pork for the dish, a longer cooking time was completley necessary. It only made the stock that much more concentrated with the heady aroma of the anise, cloves and coriander. I must say, I will definitely be making this again and again. Thanks Jaden, a wonderful dish!
Ingredients:
For the Pork Pho Broth:
2 tbsp. whole coriander seeds
4 whole cloves
2 whole star anise
2 quarts (2 liters/8 cups/64 fluid ounces) store-bought or homemade chicken stock
1 250-300g piece of pork (I used a huge 2 lb picnic roast. What? It was on sale!) (bone in or boneless)
½ onion
1 3-inch (7.5 cm) chunk of ginger, sliced and smashed with side of knife
1 to 2 tbsps. sugar
1 to 2 tbsps. fish sauce
1 lb. (500 grams/16 ounces) dried rice noodles (about ¼ inch/6 mm wide)
Accompaniments:
2 cups (200 grams/7 ounces) bean sprouts, washed and tails pinched off
Fresh cilantro (coriander) tops (leaves and tender stems)
½ cup (50 grams/approx. 2 ounces) shaved red onions
½ lime, cut into 4 wedges
Sriracha chili sauce
Hoisin sauce
Sliced fresh chili peppers of your choice
Directions:
- To make the Pho Broth: heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add the coriander seeds, cloves and star anise and toast until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Immediately spoon out the spices to avoid burning.
- In a large pot, add all the ingredients (including the toasted spices) and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 2 hours, skimming the surface frequently.
- Use tongs to remove the pork piece (or pieces) and shred the meat with your fingers, discarding the bone if you have used bone-in.
- Taste the broth and add more fish sauce or sugar, if needed. Strain the broth and discard the solids.
- Prepare the noodles as per directions on the package.
- Ladle the broth into bowls. Then divide the shredded pork and the soft noodles evenly into each bowl.
- Have the accompaniments spread out on the table. Each person can customize their own bowl with these ingredients.
Star anise is amazing and I rarely see it used in recipes, though I have several that require that flavor profile.
.-= Cajun Chef Ryan´s last blog ..Stir-Fried Chicken =-.
Your Pho really looks delicious! I’ve had with beef several times but I like the idea of pork for flavor. Your pictures are fantastic!
Bookmarked this! Looks amazing and of course if it originates from Jaden… Say no more!
The pho looks amazing. I never could get mine to clear up, but the flavor is fantastic. Wish I had a bowl of yours.
Great job on the first challenge and welcome to Daring Cooks!
.-= Margaret´s last blog ..Spiced up with Dorie for TWD. =-.
What? You’d never eaten pho before this recipe? OMG you’ve been missing out! Pho is so awesome. I crave it. If you ever feel down, are getting sick, or just need a pick-me-up, grab a bowl (or make it, now that you know how) of pho, and all is right with the world! I’ve never had pork pho though, I’d imagine it would be delicious! Congrats for getting out of your cooking comfort zone.
Wow – nice looking soup! I am just back from Laos myself and enjoyed many a Pho whilst there: http://www.eatlivetravelwrite.com/2009/10/in-mood-for-soup.html
Beautiful photos! It was my first challenge with the DC too, I really enjoyed it, pho is something that would have hardly attracted my attention in any other way.
.-= Miriam/The Winter Guest´s last blog ..Daring Cooks’ challenge October: Vietnamese chicken pho from Steamy Kitchen =-.
I want some NOW! 🙂
How do you pronounce Pho?
.-= Squeaky Gourmet´s last blog ..Cheese and Sweet Potato Crisp =-.
Squeaky gourmet. According to Jaden, it is pronounced fuh? (Like a question) Who would have known?
I have never had Pho either, now curious to try, it sounds excellent!
.-= Natasha – 5 Star Foodie´s last blog ..Veal Involtini with Fontina and Truffles =-.
GREAT pictures! Sounds like you had a great experience cooking this dish!
Congratulations on your first (and very successful) challenge. I absolutely love pork and I am sure this was absolutely delicious. I hope your positive experience was good motivation to keep it up.
.-= Frenchie´s last blog ..Daring Cooks/Pho (Fuh?) =-.
Great job! Your pho looks fantastic, and I love that you used pork. Sounds so yummy! Welcome to the Daring Kitchen!
Your pho looks beautiful! A big steaming bowl of pho with all the fixings is one of my favourite comfort foods, especially now that the weather is getting so cold. I’ve never seen a pork pho before (only beef or chicken), but it sounds really yummy.
.-= Isabelle´s last blog ..Morning Warm Up – Gingerbread Pancakes w/ Chunky Apple Compote =-.
Looks super yum 🙂 awesome job, babe!
.-= Mel @ bouchonfor2.com´s last blog ..Beet ‘n Squash YOU! Battle BEETS! =-.
Great post! Great recipe! Great photos! Thanks!
Your pho looks delicious; great photos and congrats on the challenge!
In your recipe, you called for Pork but in the instructions, you were talking about taking the chicken out, not the pork… I done see where any Chicken was in the dish other than the Chicken Broth.
Hopefully you can rectify this or let me know.
My apologies Mike, the instructions were taken directly from Steamy Kitchen’s recipe which was for chicken Pho. I have now remedied the situation, sorry about that!
Interesting use of pork in pho..but pork broth is great! Pork and Beef is common is Bun Bo Hue.
.-= ravenouscouple´s last blog ..Banh Day Recipe Vietnamese Sticky Rice Cake =-.
Nice. Sounds good. Thank you for sharing. Cheers !
.-= sizzlechef´s last blog ..Wong Bak Beancurd Scallop Soup =-.
Its really too bad I was quite sick when you made this.. it was SO good! Cant wait for the next time you make it!
Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe! I fixed it and blogged about it.
http://quidquidquidquid.blogspot.com/2010/03/pork-loin-vietnamese-pork-pho.html
Pho is soooooo delicious! I have been planninng pho for quite a while now, definitely making a pork based pho.
Squeaky Gourmet: Pho is pronounced feh
Chicken bones would make the best stock. Honestly, pork stock doesn’t turn out that great!
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Hi–I see it’s a long time since anyone’s commented on this recipe, but I got a 2 lb piece of pork–top sirloin or some steaklike cut–and was looking for a pork pho recipe and found yours. I just made it, and it was *delicious*. The broth–for which I used mostly water, because I had only 2 cups chicken broth–was full of flavor. It was truly like being in a noodle shop. My s.o. was most impressed! Thanks.
Awesome Laura! Thank you for commenting!
Amazing recipe… simple and just like the pho soups I have tasted in the Vietnamese restaurants! Good Stuff!!!
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