Classic
Beef Pho

Blanch the bones

Place all the bones (knuckle, marrow, and brisket) in your largest pot. Cover with cold water and bring to a rolling boil. Boil hard for 5 minutes -- you will see grey scum rise to the surface. This is impurities from the bones. Drain completely, rinse each bone under cold running water, and clean the pot. This step is not optional. It is the difference between a clear, clean broth and a murky, off-tasting one.

Char the onion and ginger

Place the halved onion and ginger cut-side-down directly over a gas flame, under a broiler, or in a dry cast iron pan over high heat. Char until the cut surfaces are deeply blackened -- not just browned, actually black in places. This takes about 5 minutes per side. The blackening is not a mistake. Scrape off the very worst of the char before adding to the pot, but leave a lot of it -- it is the source of colour, sweetness, and complexity.

Toast the spices

In a dry frying pan over medium heat, toast the star anise, cinnamon, cloves, coriander seeds, cardamom, and fennel (if using) for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Do not walk away -- spices go from toasted to burnt quickly. Transfer immediately to a muslin sachet, spice ball, or a small square of cheesecloth tied with kitchen string.

Build the broth

Return the blanched bones to the clean pot. Add the charred onion and ginger. Cover with 3 litres (or more as needed) of fresh cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat immediately to the lowest setting that maintains a gentle simmer -- occasional bubbles only, nothing vigorous. Add the spice sachet.

Skim the surface frequently in the first 30 minutes. After that, check every hour or so. The broth should stay clear. If it is bubbling vigorously at any point, reduce the heat. A rolling boil will emulsify the fat into the liquid and cloud the broth permanently.

Simmer -- and be patient

Simmer for a minimum of 6 hours, ideally 10-12. The brisket will be fully cooked and tender after about 2-3 hours -- remove it at that point, let it cool, wrap it, and refrigerate until assembly time. The bones continue contributing collagen and flavour long after the brisket is done.

Top up with hot water if the level drops significantly. The broth should stay consistently above the bones throughout. Remove and discard the spice sachet after 4 hours if you prefer a more subtle spice flavour, or leave it in for the full simmer for a stronger profile.

Strain and season

Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer into a clean pot or large bowl. Discard the bones, onion, ginger, and spice sachet. The broth should be clear and golden-amber.

Season now, while hot: add fish sauce one tablespoon at a time, tasting after each addition. Add the rock sugar and stir until dissolved. The broth should taste savoury, slightly sweet, and deeply aromatic. It should be just slightly over-seasoned at this point -- the noodles and beef will absorb some of the salt in the bowl.

Prepare the noodles

If you have not already, soak the dried banh pho in cold water for 30 minutes. They should be pliable and nearly translucent. Bring a separate pot of plain water to a rolling boil. Cook the soaked noodles in batches -- one portion at a time in a wire basket or strainer -- for 1-2 minutes until just tender but still with a little firmness. Drain immediately.

Prepare the beef

Slice the raw beef as thinly as possible against the grain. If you have time, freeze the beef for 30-45 minutes before slicing -- it firms up and cuts much thinner. Paper-thin is the goal. Slice the reserved cooked brisket against the grain into half-centimetre pieces.

Bring the broth to a vigorous boil

The broth must be boiling hard when it goes into the bowl -- it needs to be hot enough to cook the rare beef on contact. If your broth was refrigerated, bring it back to a full boil. Taste once more and adjust seasoning if needed.

Build the bowl

Work quickly from this point -- speed matters. Place a portion of hot noodles in a warmed bowl (run hot water through the bowl first to warm it). Arrange the sliced cooked brisket on one side and the raw beef slices on the other, draped over the noodles. Ladle boiling broth over everything -- enough to fully submerge the noodles. Top with thinly sliced spring onion.

Serve the herb plate alongside

Arrange the bean sprouts, Thai basil, culantro, sliced chili, and lime wedges on a separate plate or small board. Place hoisin sauce and sriracha on the table. The herb plate goes alongside the bowl, not in it -- let each person add what they want, when they want it.