Bún bò Huế

A brick-red, powerful and spicy broth dominated by lemongrass. The beef is meltingly tender and the rice noodles provide a soft bite.

• Prep time: 45 min
• Cook time: 150 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 1304
• Protein: 83 g
• Carbs: 101 g
• Fat: 56 g

Ingredients

• 800 g Beef shank ( whole for cooking )
• 2 piece Semi-salted pig's foot ( halved )
• 4 piece lemongrass ( bruised )
• 400 g Vietnamese rice noodles ( cooked )
• 2 tbsp shrimp paste ( diluted in a little water )
• 1 piece Onion ( peeled )
• 2 piece star anise ( whole )
• 4 tbsp fish sauce ( for seasoning )
• 1 piece Hot chili pepper ( minced )
• 3 tbsp Peanut oil ( to infuse chili )
• 1 tbsp Brown sugar ( to balance )
• 3 L Mineral water ( for the broth )
• 40 g Fresh ginger ( peeled and lightly crushed )
• 1 tbsp Annatto seeds ( to color the oil )

Instructions

1. Blanch the meats

   Plunge the beef shank and pig's trotters into boiling water for 10 minutes. Carefully skim off the grey foam that rises to the surface to ensure a perfectly clear broth. Drain and rinse with clean water.

2. Start the broth

   In a large pot, place the meats, onion, star anise, ginger, and crushed lemongrass. Cover with mineral water. Simmer over low heat. The shank should become tender enough to shred with a fork.

3. Prepare the aromatic base

   Heat the oil and sauté the annatto seeds until the oil is bright red, then remove the seeds. Then add the chili and shrimp paste. When the smell becomes strong, pour this mixture into the broth.

4. Season and strain

   Remove the meats and cut them into thin slices. Strain the broth. Add the fish sauce and brown sugar. The taste should be a perfect balance between salt, umami, and spice.

5. Assemble the bowls

   Divide the cooked rice noodles into the bowls. Arrange the meat slices on top. Pour the scalding broth over. The heat of the liquid should instantly awaken the scents of the lemongrass.

Chef's tips

• Never let the broth boil vigorously after the blanching stage, or it will become cloudy.
• The shrimp paste must be of good quality; its smell should be briny but not rancid.

Storage

The broth keeps for 3 days in the fridge. Always separate the noodles from the broth for storage.