An Easy Dinner Pho a Stress-Free Holiday Season

posted November 25, 2007
  by Amy Powell, Real Meals In Minutes

Welcome to the crazy season. As if the mounting pressure of impending holiday parties and gift buying was not bad enough, the unofficial name given to the start of the annual gift-giving holiday season is “Black Friday.” It's a name that rather ominously foreshadows the madness to come. Yes, it is the holiday season, and incredibly we are supposed to waltz through the next four weeks of travel, shopping, and parties in cold weather, grinning through gritted teeth, all the while maintaining a healthy disposition of holiday cheer.

Ba humbug, you say! I am being a Scrooge. Not at all, at least it's not intentional, anyway. For what could be more joyous than travelling to meet family, making the rounds of holiday office parties, and buying presents for those you love? It is just that, sometimes, the thought of all that is enough to bring on an anxiety attack.

In the midst of all of the holiday celebrations it is good to know in advance at least one meal that will be easy to prepare, is only partially assembled by the cook (the rest is left to the eater), will have flavors worlds away from those trays of traditional seasonal cocktail hors d’oeuvres, and hopefully will have enough restorative power to get you through to the next day--if not all the way to Christmas.

If you have not had the pleasure of meeting it already, allow me to introduce you to the magical powers of a bowl of phò. If you have yet to partake in a bowl of this steaming Vietnamese beef noodle soup, suffice it to say that as a singular dish it has developed enough of a following to have entire websites (www.phofever.com) devoted to it. Not to mention that the soup itself has spawned dozens of restaurants, some of whom's silly names (What the Pho?, Pho Shizzle) are reason enough to see what the fuss is all about.

Pho is a soup consisting of a seasoned beef broth with banh pho or rice stick noodles topped with any variety of Vietnamese condiments. It has become a staple dish of that South East Asian nation. It originally developed in Northern Vietnam towards the end of the 19th century and is said to find its roots in everything from the French dish pot au feu to the highly spiced noodle dishes of Southern China.

In its original form, rare beef slices are added to hot noodle soup and are sliced so thin they actually cook once placed in the broth. Other variations such as pho ga (pho with chicken), or pho chay (vegetarian pho), can also be found these days from Vietnam to Los Angeles.

Although it is served as a savory lunch or dinner main course on this side of the Pacific, pho is actually a breakfast food in Vietnam. And as a personal testament to its restorative powers, I can affirm that there is nothing like a hot bowl of pho in the morning after 24 hours of travel spent getting to Saigon and one too many drinks on the airplane.

As fun as it is to eat in restaurants in the States that are called What the Pho?, making a similar version at home couldn’t be simpler. Rice stick noodles are widely available these days in markets from Ralph's to Trader Joe’s. Use the best beef stock you can find because that will make all the difference in the final outcome of the soup (or chicken stock if making pho ga). While the noodles are cooking and the beef stock is heating all that is left is to prep the condiments and arrange them for the family to add to their bowls to each individual desire.

Minimal cooking, assemble-yourself, soul soothing pho with flavors that are far removed from gingerbread houses and candy canes is the perfect balm for the holiday blues. If Black Friday already has you thinking dark thoughts, put down the credit card, leave the car in the garage, and gather the family around the table to slurp up some noodles and share with your loved ones what has to be the real source of holiday cheer.


Easy Pho Bo (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup) Recipe
http://www.cdkitchen.com/


Serves/Makes: 6
Ready in: < 30 minutes

* 10 cups rich beef stock
* 5 limes
* 2 tablespoons Vietnamese fish sauce
* 2 star anise seeds (optional)
* 1 package (13 oz size) Thai Rice sticks
* 1 1/2 cup bean sprouts
* 6 green onions
* 1/2 bunch cilantro
* 1 pound beef sirloin
* 1 cup basil leaves
* 2 jalapenos
* OR
* 4 serrano chilies
* Additional fish sauce
* Sriracha or other Asian chili sauce

Bring beef stock to a boil in a large stock pot with the juice of 3 of the limes, fish sauce, and star anise if using. Let stock boil for 15 minutes.

In a separate pot, bring water to a boil and cook rice sticks according to package directions. Drain rice sticks. While noodles are cooking and stock is heating, prep the condiments. Slice green onions on a long diagonal. Roughly chop cilantro. Slice beef into a thin a slice as possible with a very sharp knife. Rinse basil, dry, and put on platter for service. Slice remaining limes and arrange next to basil on serving platter. Thinly slice chilies and arrange on serving platter.

Place platter on table with fish sauce and chili sauce. When noodles are cooked and drained, divide among six bowls. On top of noodles, divide evenly the bean sprouts, sliced green onions and cilantro. Top herbs with rare beef divided evenly between bowls. Remove star anise from stock. Ladle hot stock over each bowl of noodles and beef. Serve immediately.

Allow each person to season bowl to taste with additional lime juice, basil, sliced chilies, fish sauce and chili sauce.

©2008 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction of this article may be made without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.

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