Let’s embark on the rewarding journey of making homemade Pho:

1. Roast Bones and Onion:

• Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
• Place the beef soup bones on a large baking sheet. Roast in the preheated oven until well-browned, about 1 hour, turning them halfway through if needed.
• Place the unpeeled onion halves (cut-side down or up) on a separate small baking sheet or piece of foil. Roast on another rack in the same oven until the cut surfaces are blackened and the onion is soft, about 45 minutes. (Optionally, char the ginger slices alongside the onion for deeper flavor).

2. Make and Simmer the Broth (The Long Haul!):

• Transfer the browned beef bones and the roasted/blackened onion halves to a very large stockpot.
• Add the slices of fresh ginger, 1 tablespoon of salt, the star anise pods, fish sauce, and 4 quarts of water.
• Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low (or the lowest setting that maintains a very gentle simmer). Skim off any scum or impurities that rise to the surface during the first 30-60 minutes.
• Cover partially (leaving a small gap for steam to escape) and let the broth simmer very gently for 6 to 10 hours. The longer it simmers, the richer the flavor. Add more water if needed to keep bones covered.

3. Strain the Broth:

• After the long simmer, carefully strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth (if you have it, for extra clarity) into a large clean pot or heatproof container. Discard the bones, onion, ginger, and star anise.
• For a less fatty broth, you can chill the strained broth completely, then skim off the solidified fat from the top before reheating. Set the strained broth aside.

4. Prepare Rice Noodles:

• About 1 hour before you plan to serve, place the dried rice noodles in a large bowl. Cover them completely with room temperature water. Let them soak for 1 hour (or according to package directions – some may need less time or hot water).
• After soaking, drain the noodles thoroughly.

5. Reheat Broth and Cook Noodles:

• When ready to assemble, heat up the reserved strained pho broth in a saucepan by bringing it to a strong simmer. Taste and adjust salt or fish sauce if needed. The broth must be VERY hot to cook the beef.
• Meanwhile, bring a separate large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the soaked and drained rice noodles to the boiling water and cook for just 1 minute (or until tender but still slightly chewy – they cook fast after soaking!).
• Drain the noodles immediately in a colander.

6. Assemble the Pho Bowls:

• Divide the cooked rice noodles evenly among 4 large serving bowls.
• Arrange a portion of the paper-thin raw beef top sirloin slices over the noodles in each bowl.
• Sprinkle the chopped cilantro and chopped green onion over the beef and noodles.
• Carefully ladle the very hot, simmering pho broth generously over the beef, noodles, and herbs in each bowl. The hot broth will cook the thinly sliced beef to a perfect rare or medium-rare.
• Gently stir the contents of the bowl with chopsticks or a spoon to help cook the beef evenly. Let it sit for 1 to 2 minutes until the beef is partially cooked and no longer pink (or to your desired doneness).

7. Serve with Garnishes:

• Serve the Pho Bo immediately. Provide plates or bowls of fresh bean sprouts, Thai basil leaves, lime wedges, and optional hoisin sauce and chile-garlic sauce (Sriracha) on the side for each person to customize their soup to their liking.

The tableside assembly is part of the authentic pho experience