Bún Bò Huế
Vietnamese Spicy Beef & Pork Noodle Soup
Ingredients
The Broth & Proteins
- 2 lb Pork bones neck or leg bones
- 1 lb Deboned pork hock sliced into rounds
- 2 lb Beef shank
- 1 whole Onion peeled, skins on if preferred
- 3 Shallots skins on
- 2 inches Ginger sliced, skins on
- 2 Pineapple cores
- 3 stalks Lemongrass green part cut and discarded
- 1 tbsp Rock sugar
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Mắm Ruốc Hue fermented shrimp paste, diluted and strained
- 2 Bảo Long Bún Bò Huế flavor cubes
The Lemongrass Chili Sate
- ½ cup Neutral oil
- 3 tbsp Annatto seed oil
- 4 stalks Lemongrass finely minced
- 2 tbsp Garlic minced
- 2 tbsp Shallots minced
- 2 tbsp Kim Tu Thap Gold Pagoda Bún Bò dry spice mix
- 1 tbsp Chicken bouillon
- 2 tbsp Fish sauce
To Serve & Garnish
- 2 packages Thick Bún Bò rice vermicelli
- Chả Lụa Vietnamese ham, sliced
- Rau Răm Vietnamese coriander/mint
- Red cabbage shredded
- Sliced onion chopped green onions and cilantro
- Lime wedges & fresh Thai chilies
Instructions
- The Parboil Protocol: Boil pork bones, hocks, and beef shank for 10 minutes. Drain, scrub each piece of meat under cold water, and scrub your pot clean.
- Start the Stockpot: Simmer pork bones and hocks in a clean pot with water, pineapple cores, aromatics, rock sugar, salt and flavor cube for 45 mins.
- Instant Pot Shortcut: Pressure cook the beef shank with water, pineapple cores, aromatics, rock sugar, salt and flavor cube for 25 mins. Quick release.
- The Ice Bath: Move the beef shank immediately into an ice bath. Once firm, slice into thin rounds. Slice deboned pork hocks and Chả Lụa.
- Develop the Sate: Sauté minced lemongrass, garlic, and shallots in oil. Stir in annatto seed oil, Kim Tu Thap spice mix, chicken bouillon, and fish sauce. Add a ladle of broth to keep moist.
- The "Funk" Factor: Dilute the Mắm Ruốc in water, let sediment settle, and pour only the clear flavored liquid into the main stockpot.
- The Merge: Combine the Instant Pot beef broth with the stockpot. Add a small portion of sate for color and simmer. Season to taste with fish sauce and rock sugar.
- Noodle Prep: Boil thick Bún Bò vermicelli until al dente. Drain and rinse in cold water. Microwave the noodles right before assembly.
- Assembly: Build the bowl with warm noodles, sliced meats, shredded cabbage, and Rau Răm.
- The Final Pour: Bring the broth to a rolling boil and ladle over the bowl. Serve remaining sate on the side.
Notes
- Storage: Always store noodles, meat, and broth in separate containers.
- The Fragrance Lock: If the lemongrass scent fades during reheating, stir in a fresh teaspoon of sate to the boiling broth right before serving