Pho is perhaps the crown jewel of Vietnamese cuisine. Warm and healthy this soupy noodle dish (different from ramen) can be found in almost every Vietnamese restaurant and has been a favorite breakfast for Vietnamese and many others around the world for decades. While the rich bone broth and flat rice noodles are both essential components of a well-made bowl of pho the real star for many is the thinly sliced beef. To achieve the perfect texture and flavor the meat must be tender but not overly marbled which means that not just any cut will do.
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Secrets of World-Class Pho Revealed
Vietnamese chefs use different cuts of beef in their pho depending on availability and the specific version they are preparing. However some of the most popular choices tend to be shank flank steak brisket and tenderloin. If you know what kind of meat you have you’ll notice that most of these are on the lean side. Lean cuts of beef are often preferred because they don’t overwhelm your palate with fat when you take a bite. While some marbling is desirable for tenderness the recurring theme for pho is that the leaner the cut the better the final dish will be.
Rare beef pho (phở tái) is a version of the dish where the beef slices are left raw and placed directly on the noodles. A few minutes before serving a waterfall of steaming almost boiling broth is poured over the beef. By the time you pick up your chopsticks the meat is cooked to perfection giving it the juiciness and tenderness associated with this variation of pho.
If this is the type of pho you’re planning to make lean tender and quick-cooking cuts are the way to go. Sirloin steaks like short loin sirloin and tenderloin are all excellent for the job as is flank steak. Another favorite is eye of round a tough cut that as the name suggests forms the core of the round portion. For best results partially freeze the beef before slicing it as thinly as possible. Thinner cuts will cook faster once you add the hot broth.
