Hanoi Beef and Rice Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• 3 pounds beef oxtail
• 3/4 cup thinly sliced fresh ginger (about 3 ounces)
• 2/3 cup coarsely chopped shallots (about 3 medium shallots) 
• 5 quarts water
• 4 cups coarsely chopped daikon radish (about 1 pound)
• 2 tablespoons sugar 
• 3 tablespoons Thai fish sauce (such as Three Crabs)
• 1 teaspoon white peppercorns
• 5 whole cloves
• 2 star anise
• 1 large yellow onion, peeled and quartered 
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Remaining ingredients:
• 2 cups vertically sliced onion 
• 12 ounces wide rice stick noodles (banh pho)
• 2 cups fresh bean sprouts
• 12 ounces eye-of-round roast, trimmed and cut into 1/16-inch slices
• 2 cups cilantro leaves
• 1 cup Thai basil leaves
• 4 red Thai chiles, seeded and thinly sliced
• 8 lime wedges 
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce (optional)

Preparation

To prepare broth, heat a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add oxtail, ginger, and shallots; sauté 8 minutes or until ginger and shallots are slightly charred. Add water and next 8 ingredients (through cinnamon stick); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 4 hours. Strain broth through a sieve into a large bowl; discard solids. Return broth to pan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook until reduced to 10 cups (about 30 minutes). Skim fat from surface; discard fat. Keep warm.
To prepare remaining ingredients, add sliced onion to broth. Place noodles in a large bowl, and cover with boiling water. Let stand 20 minutes. Drain. Place 1/3 cup bean sprouts in each of 6 soup bowls. Top each serving with 1 1/3 cup noodles and 2 ounces eye-of-round. Carefully ladle 1 2/3 cups boiling broth over each serving (boiling broth will cook the meat). Serve with cilantro, basil, chiles, limes, and hoisin, if desired.


myrecipes.com