Name: Beef Pho with Charred Onion and Star Anise
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 3 h 30 min
Total time: 4 h
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 3 lb beef marrow and knuckle bones; 1 lb beef brisket, in one piece; 1 yellow onion, halved; 4-inch piece ginger, halved lengthwise; 6 whole star anise; 4 whole cloves; 1 cinnamon stick; 1 tbsp coriander seeds; ¼ cup fish sauce; 2 tbsp brown sugar; 8 oz dried rice noodles; ½ lb beef sirloin, sliced paper-thin; To finish bean sprouts, Thai basil, lime wedges, sliced chile, scallion

Beef Pho with Charred Onion and Star Anise

A bone broth simmered most of an afternoon, then poured boiling over raw-sliced beef so the broth itself finishes the meat at the table.

Serves

Prep

30 min

Cook

3 hr 30 min

Written

July 28, 2026

Method

Char the onion and ginger directly over a gas flame or under the broiler until the skins blacken and blister, then rinse off the loose char.

Cover the bones with cold water, bring to a boil for 5 minutes to draw out the scum, then drain and rinse the bones and the pot clean.

Toast the star anise, cloves, cinnamon, and coriander seeds in the dry pot over medium heat until they smell sharp and fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Return the bones to the pot with the brisket, charred onion and ginger, and toasted spices, cover with 5 quarts water, and bring to a bare simmer, skimming any foam for the first 30 minutes.

Simmer uncovered, adjusting the heat so the surface just trembles, until the broth has turned a deep amber and tastes like more than water, about 3 hours.

Lift out the brisket once a skewer slides through it with no resistance, and set aside to cool enough to slice thin.

Strain the broth through a fine sieve, discarding the solids, then stir in the fish sauce and brown sugar and taste — it should be savory first, sweet a distant second.

Cook the rice noodles according to the package directions until just tender, then divide among bowls.

Bring the broth back to a rolling boil.

Top the noodles with the sliced raw sirloin and brisket, then ladle the boiling broth directly over the raw beef so it cooks in the bowl.

Serve with the bean sprouts, basil, lime, chile, and scallion alongside for everyone to add themselves.

Notes

The clarity of the broth is the whole test — that first hard boil of the bones is what throws off the gray scum that would otherwise cloud three hours of simmering into something muddy. Skim in the first half hour and the rest takes care of itself.

Raw beef going into a hot bowl only works if the broth is actually boiling when it hits the meat, so bring it back up fully before you ladle — a bowl that’s merely hot will leave the sirloin gray and underdone instead of just barely blushing. Leftover broth freezes well past the noodles, so make the full batch even for a smaller crowd.