“I didn’t want to put pho on the menu at Ms G’s because I feel that everybody who loves this dish has a favourite spot to go for it, so why mess with that logic?” says Hong. “This dish takes all the flavours I love about pho and makes something you can share (ever tried sharing noodle soup?). This dish is a bit involved but by the time you’re done, you’ll know how to make both a basic and seasoned pho stock (skills for life), as well as nailing this new dish. It’s like pho, but lighter and fresher – think Vietnamese steak and salad.”
Ingredients
Seasoned pho stock
Pho jus
Hoisin nuoc cham
Salad
Method
Main
1.For the seasoned pho stock, hold the onion and ginger over an open flame, using a pair of tongs, until nicely charred. Set aside. Put the bones, trotter and brisket into a large heavy-based stockpot. Cover generously with cold water and and bring to the boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and drain, discarding the water. Wash the bones and meat under running water to remove any impurities. Wash out the pot, then return the bones, trotter and meat to it, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Skim off any impurities, then add the charred onion and ginger, the spring onions and the spices. Simmer for 8 hours, skimming the surface often. Strain. When cool, pour into a large container and store in the freezer, or keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. This is the basic pho stock. To finish seasoned pho stock, combine 500ml stock, 1½ tsp salt and the remaining ingredients in a bowl, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
2.For the pho jus, bring 500ml seasoned pho stock to the boil in a saucepan. Slowly add the kuzu slurry in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Stop adding the slurry when you reach an unctuous, saucy consistency (3-4 minutes; you may not need to add all the starch). Cover, set aside and keep warm.
3.For the hoisin nuoc cham, mix all ingredients together in a bowl until well combined, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
4.Season and grill the steaks in a frying pan or on a char-grill on high to your preference (rare to medium is best in my opinion; 10-15 minutes for medium rare). Transfer to a plate, cover with foil and set aside to rest for 5 minutes.
5.For the salad, combine the onion, spring onion, herbs, bean sprouts and chilli, and drizzle with some of the hoisin nuoc cham.
6.Cut the meat into 1cm slices and arrange on a serving plate. Put the bones on the plate, too. Spoon the pho jus over the meat, then top with the salad. Serve with lemon wedges and extra pho jus on the side.
Note Chinese cardamom and sawtooth coriander are available from Asian grocers and supermarkets. Konbu extract can be hard to find; substitute a large piece of konbu when simmering the stock. Konbu extract and kuzu are available from specialty Japanese food shops. If you can’t find kuzu, substitute potato starch. This recipe is from Mr Hong ($49.99, hbk), published by Murdoch Books and has been reproduced with GT style changes.
Drink Suggestion: A wine with tannin structure without being too powerful – a Luke Lambert Nebbiolo Reserve, Heathcote. Drink suggestion by Franck Moreau
