Pho Vo Vien Vietnamese Beef Ball Soup Recipes

PHO VO VIEN - VIETNAMESE BEEF BALL SOUP

Steps:

• Slice meat thinly; mix with pepper, salt, cornstarch, oil, and baking powder.
• Let meat stand for 1 hour, then place meat in a plastic ziplock bag and set in freezer for 45 minutes, turning each 10 minutes to keep from freezing.
• Remove from freezer and mince very fine in small quantities, or grind in a mortar.
• Boil 2 cups of water in a saucepan, then reduce to a simmer.
• Mix 1 cup of cold water with 1 teaspoon salt; oil your hands, and place about a tablespoonful of meat in your palm and squeeze tightly.
• Dip soup spoon into salty water, then use to lower meatball into boiling water; remove meatballs when they turn white or rise to the surface.
• Repeat method until all meatballs are finished.
• After all the meatballs are done, add 1 quart of water and 1 teaspoon of salt to the water and bring to a boil.
• Skim off the foam.
• Reduce the heat to low, add the beef balls to the stock and simmer for 3-5 minutes.
• To serve, put 5-6 beef balls and some soup in a bowl and sprinkle with some green onions, chopped cilantro, and 1-2 drops of sesame oil.
• Make 3 bowls of dipping sauces for the meatballs: 1 with hoisin sauce, 1 with black bean sauce, and 1 with Sriracha chile sauce and lemongrass stirred together.
• Sip the soup and dip the meatballs into the bowls of dipping sauces.

VIETNAMESE BEEF BALLS - (THIT BO VIEN)

Steps:

• In a shallow dish, mix the fish sauce, potato starch, baking powder, sugar and white pepper.
• Slice the meat into 1/8-inch-thick pieces.
• Add to the marinade and mix well.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
• Before proceeding, transfer the meat to the freezer for 30 minutes.
• Work with half of the beef at a time; do not overload the work bowl.
• In a food processor, combine half of the beef with half of the garlic and sesame oil.
• Process to a completely smooth but stiff paste, about 3 minutes.
• Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of the work bowl.
• The completed paste should spring back to the touch.
• Transfer the paste to a bowl.
• Process the remaining beef, garlic and sesame oil the same way.
• Rub some vegetable oil on one hand, and grab a handful of the meat paste and close your hand into a fist, squeezing out a small portion of the mixture, about 1 teaspoon, between your thumb and index finger.
• Keep rolling and squeezing the same portion between your thumb and index finger until you obtain a smooth rounded ball.
• Scoop out the meatball with an oiled spoon, and repeat until all of the paste is used.
• Pour 1 inch of water into a wok or wide pot, place a steamer rack or bamboo steamer over the water.
• Arrange the meatballs without crowding in a single layer on the rack.
• Cover and steam for 5 minutes.
• Serve as an appetizer with chili sauce.
• These beef balls can also be added to a well-seasoned beef broth, sprinkled with chopped scallions and white pepper and served as a soup (noodles may be added).
• Note: These meatballs may be frozen.
• Thaw them thoroughly, then steam or simmer in boiling water until just heated through.

PHO BO (VIETNAMESE BEEF NOODLE SOUP)

Steps:

• Wrap ginger, anise, shallots and cinnamon in two layers of cheesecloth; tie with heavy cotton string.
• In a 10 qt pan, combine beef chuck, broth, 2 1/2 qts water, nouc mam sauce, sugar and spice bundle. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Uncover, reduce heat and simmer until beef is tender when pierced (1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours).
• With a slotted spoon, transfer meat to a freezer container and freeze overnight. Cool soup and then refridgerate overnight.
• The next day, take frozen beef chuck and thinly slice across the grain into 2 to 3 inch slices.
• Skim and discard fat from broth. Add 1/8 tsp salt and 2 tbsp Nouc Mam sauce. Bring broth back to boil.
• Arrange bean sprouts, chiles, basil, cilantro, and limes on a platter.
• Once broth boils, reduce to simmer. Immerse sliced sirloin in simmering broth (use wire strainer or skimmer) and cook just until brown on the outside but still pink in the center (30 seconds to 1 min). Lift out and set aside.
• Mound hot cooked rice noodles equally in deep bowls (at least 3 cup capacity). Top equally with beef chuck, sirloin, yellow onion and green onions.
• Ladle broth over noodles to cover generously.
• Serve Pho Bo with platter of condiments, hoisin sauce and chili paste adding to taste.