Pho Bo

This is one of my all-time favorite food. A former colleague of mine from Vietnam taught me how to cook authentic Pho Bo. The secret to a great bowl of Pho Bo is in the broth. To allow sufficient time for the broth, I brought a combination of beef and pig bones to boil for 4 to 5 hours, added one cube of beef boullion to enhance its flavor (optional), and a small amount of cinnamon sticks, cloves and star aniseeds into the broth. Beef knuckles were added mid-stream (as a more economical substitute for beef tail).  I removed the knuckles from the soup after simmering for about 2 hours, and cut them into thin slices.  I added the uncooked beef steak and the knuckle slices on top of the noodles in a bowl.  I then poured the hot broth over the beef and noodles. Lastly, onions, Thai basil leaves and bean sprouts were then added as condiments.