Bun Bo Hue

Bun Bo Hue is a vietnamese spicy beef noodle soup.  Kind of like Pho's spicy cousin.  It originates from the central region of Vietnam, where my dad's side of the family is from.  This recipe is my aunt, Co Be's, recipe and it is deeeeeelicious!  My sister really wanted to preserve this recipe so she had my aunt film a tutorial on how to make it.  See below! Hope you enjoy.

BUN BO HUE FROM CO BE.

20 lemongrass stalks (3 bunches), depending on the size

1 package pork baby back ribs (3 lbs). Co Be only buys pork and beef at the American groceries.

3 packages beef shanks (3 lbs each)

6 beef tendons (bought at the VN store)

2 sweet onions, peeled

1.5 cup of canola oil

4 tablespoons sugar

4 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoons black pepper and about 3 tablespoons of salt, to taste

30 cloves garlic, finely minced

About 6 tablespoons nước mắm (fish sauce), to taste.

8 tablespoons red chili powder (buy these at the American grocery store), to taste. Cayenne pepper is fine, but then you should decrease the amount as cayenne pepper is spicier.

4 (8-ounce) packages rice noodles, boiled

8 cubes beef bouillon, to taste

10 kaffir lime leaves, chopped

chả lụa Huế, thinly sliced

1 red onion, thinly sliced

6 limes, cut into wedges

1 bunch of rau kinh doi, rinsed and chopped

2 bunches of rau răm, rinsed and chopped

1 bunch of cilantro rinsed and chopped

2 bunches of green onions, rinsed and chopped

1 jar mắm ruốc (shrimp paste): not optional! If you want Bun Bo to taste like Bun Bo, this has got to be the main ingredient.

1 bag of bean sprouts, optional

Directions

For the lemongrass: Wash the lemongrass stalks. Remove all the white powder from the leaves. Bruise the younger part using a mallet and tie into bunches of 3-4 stalks.

Making bún bò Huế broth:  Rinse the pork ribs and beef shanks, place them in a pot and cover with water. Add garlic powder, salt, black pepper and 1 onion. Bring to a boil, remove cloudy film on top, then lower the heat to a bubbly simmer. Simmer for 1 hour and constantly remove cloudy film on top.

Fish out the beef shanks and pork ribs using a slotted spoon; transfer to a cutting board. Allow to cool and slice the meat (don’t slice them too thin). Make sure the beef shanks are sliced against the grain to ensure optimum tenderness. Cook the tendons for about ½ hour to 1 hour more to desired tenderness, then sliced.

For the rocket fuel:  In another stockpot, heat the canola oil. Add 1 ½ chopped onions and garlic. Cook over high heat for about 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent the onions and garlic from burning, until the color is evenly golden brown. Turn off heat and add red chili powder.

To the broth, add fish sauce, 4 tablespoons mắm ruốc or however much to taste, beef bouillon, few tablespoons of sugar, few tablespoons of “rocket fuel”, lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves. Add sliced meat and tendons back in and cook for another 30-45 minutes under low heat until desired tenderness.

Serving time:  Fill each bowl with rice noodles, sliced red onion, beef bones and the sweet spicy broth. Serve immediately. Garnish with chả lụa pieces, lime wedges, bean sprouts, and the Asian herbs on top.