Cooking Gluten Free Beef Pho For Vietnamese Students

This fall quarter  for the first time in six years I have two Vietnamese students living in my home!  I've just made three dishes so far, the first two were, of course, chicken and beef pho.  I made the beef pho the Saturday that one of the student's aunt and cousin were flying in for a visit from California. 

 I knew she would help me make any  adjustments to the broth when she arrived-- which she happily did!  I got this recipe six years ago from an Internet search--I have tweaked it over the years.  (I didn't jot down where I picked it up.)  When she tasted it, she said it only needed 1 more tablespoon of fish sauce and sugar, and a bit more gluten free tamari to get it  just right.  

She told me later that it was very welcoming to come into our home and smell pho cooking on the stove.  She was surprised that an American would tackle trying to make it.  Ahhh, it was so good!

Gluten Free Beef Pho

1.  Prepare vegetables:
(1)  Slice 1 onion
(2)  Slice 4-5 shallots
(3)  Chop the stems off of1 cup of cilantro
(4)  Chop the stems off of 1 cup of basil  (I mix regular basil with Thai basil if I don't have enough)
(5)  Peel and mince a 5" piece of ginger
For garnishing:
(6)  Chop the cup of  cilantro leaves.
(7)  Chop the  cup of basil leaves. 
(8)  Slice 5-6 green onions (slice the bottoms and then do the stems in 1" pieces)
(9)  Thinly slice 1 onion

2.  Prepare beef bones:  Put about 1 pound of beef bones into a  saucepan with cold water to cover.  Bring to a boil and  let cook for 3 minutes and then pour off all the water.  An Asian mother who stayed with me for three weeks this past summer told me that this helps remove any impurities.

3.  Fill a large stock pot with about 18-20 cups of water or about 3/4ths full.
(1)  Put 2 T of coconut oil into the bottom of a large stock pot.  Sauté the onion and shallot for about 5 minutes.
(2)  Then fill the pot about 3/4th full with filtered water.  Add 2 T of rice mirin and 1 1/2 T of salt to the water.
(3)  Then put in the beef bones you've just prepared.  
(4)  Put in a nylon or mesh bag with the following:  10 star of anise, 8 cinnamon sticks, 8 whole cloves, and 1 cardamon pod.  Add green onions.
(5)  Bring to a boil and then let simmer for 3-4 hours. (Some recipes talk about taking he seasoning bag out after a shorter time, but I like my broth to be very fragrant, so taste it every hour until it's where you like it.) Remove the seasoning bag.
(6)  Add 1/3 cup of gluten free tamari, 3 T fish sauce,  3 T of Better Than Beef Bouillon, 2 t of black pepper, and 2 T of brown sugar.
(7)  Taste and make any personal adjustments.
(8)  About 10 minutes before serving, add 1 pound of sliced beef sirloin and let it cook until you're ready to eat.

4.  During the last 45 minutes of cooking the broth, cook 1 package of pho noodles:  
(1)  In a separate pot bring hot water to a boil and cook the noodles about 11 minutes. 
(2)  Rinse with cold water when done.  
(3)  Divide the noodles into all the soup bowls--we had 10 bowls and there was just enough!

5.  Condiment platter:  Arrange on a platter the sliced onion, chopped cilantro, basil, and lime wedges. Also put Hoisin sauce, fish sauce, and Sriracha (a brand ofhot chili sauce) on the table for people to add to their pho. 

List of My Favorite Soups, Chili & Stew Recipes: 

Beef 

Grandma's Favorite Beef Stew  (My mother-in-law's delicious recipe!)

Just Like Home Ukrainian Borscht  ( a Polish student  said this tasted like his mom's!)

Poultry

This is the Best Gluten Free Minestrone Soup!   (A recipe my son modified)

Mouth Watering Italian Turkey Sausage Soup   (This is  my friend Debbie's recipe)
Mexican Fiesta Chicken Soup   (A recipe I got years ago from a Mexican cookbook)
My Thanksgiving Turkey Soup  (My very own special concoction!)
Gary's Incredible Gluten Free Arkansas Gumbo  (Given to me by a Bible study friend)
Jeannie's French Market Soup  (A mom friend from when my kids were little)
Southwest Turkey Soup  (From my Syre School cookbook)

Fish
Northwest Salmon Chowder  (From my Heritage School cookbook)

Bean & Legumes
Vi's Best Chili  (A  Bible study friend's great recipe)
Bethany's Crowd Pleasing Tortilla Soup  (One of my daughter's friends special soup)
Country-Style Lentil Soup   (From my Heritage School cookbook)
Kathy's Texas Chili & Chips (From my Come & Dine cookbook)

Vegetable

Creamy Pumpkin Soup  (from Food Network)
My Favorite Gluten Free Pumpkin Curry Soup  (Combo from Food & All Recipes)
Downright Delicious Potato & Kale Soup  (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)

Asian
Chinese Chicken Soups  - Bok choy chicken, chicken & spinach, and chicken & cabbage
Make Your Own Gluten Free Chicken Pho!  (From a newspaper article)
Gluten Free Chinese Hot Pot  (Modified by a Chinese student)
Chinese Egg Drop Soup  &  Chinese Egg & Tomato Soup  (Adapted from our students)

Vegetarian & Gluten Free Tom Yum Soup (A delicious Thai soup) 
Deluxe Miso Soup (Kenchinjiru)   (Adapted from Internet search)
A Thai Mom Teaches Me How to Make Tom Yum Kung  (A student's mom's recipe)
A Vietnamese Cooking Lesson - Lien's Vietnamese Sweet & Sour Soup  (An International student's aunt's recipe)