Bún bò Huế

Photo: Hungry Huy

Pho gets the press. This is the one people from Vietnam talk about. Lemongrass, shrimp paste, a red chili oil on top, and a broth that takes all afternoon. Huy walks you through every bit of it.

From Huy Vu at Hungry Huy · @hungryhuy

Hue's spicy beef and pork noodle soup: a lemongrass and shrimp-paste broth, rice noodles and a red chili oil on top.

You need

• 2 lb beef shank
• 2 lb oxtail
• 2 lb pork hocks
• 1 lb cha Hue (Hue-style pork sausage), sliced
• 1 lb pork blood cake, cubed (optional)
• 24 oz chicken broth
• 12 stalks lemongrass, tops removed, bruised
• 2 large yellow onions, halved
• 3 tbsp salt
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp fine shrimp paste
• 3 to 4 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 to 2 tsp MSG (optional)
• 14 oz dried thick round rice noodles
• For the chili oil: 1/2 cup neutral oil, 3 oz minced shallot, 1.5 oz minced garlic, 1 oz minced lemongrass, 2 tbsp gochugaru, 3/4 oz crushed dried Thai chiles, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp sugar
• To serve: mint, Thai basil, bean sprouts, shredded banana blossom, lime wedges, sliced chiles

How to make it

1. Put the shank, oxtail and hocks in a large pot, cover with water, boil 5 minutes, then drain and rinse the meat and the pot. This keeps the broth clear.
2. Return the meat to the pot with the chicken broth and enough water to cover (about 6 quarts). Add the lemongrass, onions, salt and sugar. Simmer gently, skimming, for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Lift the shank out after about 1 1/2 hours, when tender, and slice it.
3. Meanwhile make the chili oil: warm the oil and gently fry the shallot, garlic and lemongrass until fragrant and pale gold. Off the heat stir in the gochugaru, crushed chiles, fish sauce and sugar.
4. Dissolve the shrimp paste in a cup of hot broth, let it settle, and pour the liquid into the pot (leave the grit). Season with fish sauce and MSG. Remove the lemongrass and onions. Add the blood cake for the last 10 minutes if using.
5. Cook the noodles according to the package, drain and rinse.
6. Divide noodles among big bowls, add sliced shank, oxtail, hock and cha Hue, ladle over boiling broth and spoon chili oil on top. Serve with the herbs, sprouts, banana blossom and lime.

Written in our own words from Huy Vu's recipe, with their quantities. The original: Bún bò Huế, Hungry Huy.

More from the list