Faux Beef Pho

I say "faux" because I did not make this broth from scratch.  Beef bones (ox tails?!?) are one of those "go to five different groceries to see if you can find them" things, and I'm not willing to play that game.  So I used a combination of this recipe (charred onion and ginger) and this recipe (basic proportions).  It started with a really good stock concentrate and simmering spices (star anise, cardamom, fennel seed, cloves, cinnamon stick) for 2 hours.  I also marinated the meat, so it was very flavorful and, after another 90 minutes of gentle simmering, very tender.  I did not do the "sliced thin" version of the meat this time but will do that next time.  At the end, I added some bok choy and cooked it until tender before topping with the normal stuff.  Although the broth wasn't "clear" like a good authentic pho, the taste was really good and it had very little fat (none to skim off after refrigerating).

Hank said that in Vietnam, those skilled with the chopsticks were very graceful at eating noodles, much more graceful than the fork-bearers.  Those noodles get slippery!

Next, I want to learn to make Chicken Pho (which Hank says is his favorite) and Veggie Pho.  Then dumplings...