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This is my ultimate favorite food in the summer and winter! Make sure to have sricha and hunan sauce to dip your pieces of meat!

CHICKEN STOCK?!?!?! NOOOOO!!! ;)

I'm one of those pho people who believe pho *must* be made with beef-stock. Just being a stick-in-the-mud.

@JenPDX, I used to think so, too, until I made it from The Best Recipe (a Cook's Illustrated cookbook). After I made their "Vietnamese-Style Broth," I became a convert. Cook's Illustrated recommends using chicken stock for most recipes that would normally call for beef stock.

Man, I hate it when you guys go into all the details of How Wonderful This Recipe Is, and then you don't share. And I've totally been hunting for a good pho recipe too!

My girlfriend and I make pho (we're both Vietnamese) with beef soup bones, simmering for hours with onion and ginger (both grilled right on the stove top) and the spice pack, and I can't even imagine that a 20-minute, chicken stock-based broth would taste nearly as good.

Oooh yum! I can't see a bowl of pho and NOT want to eat it right then and there. And I just had lunch too.. Sigh.

i agree spaceage... guess who's having pho for dinner? meeee

did the cook's illustrated article recommending chicken broth for real beef broth say that pho was"exotic" ??
although their all american recipes are good (albeit super high fat), their take on anything outside of the borders is ridiculous. they once recommended dill pickles for preserved mustard greens. see below for lengthy discussion.
http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2008/07/26/yet-another-reason-to-dislike-the-cooks-illustrated-family-of-publications

Pho has many differenct colors: it can be made with chicken stock (pho ga), seafood stock (pho tom), and of course beef stock (pho bo).

The hardcore pho eater eats beef pho with all its trimming, and for breakfast, lunch and dinner if they can.

Pho is best homemade, so if you have vietnamese friends, become very friendly with them. As either they will make the best pho you'll ever taste, or their mother, or grandmother will. This will beat any pho you'll get at restaurants.

I think the essentials to making quality pho are:
-beef bones (better quality, better broth)
-spices such as cloves and anise star (and more)
-charred ginger & charred brown onions
-removal of impurities during the process of making the broth
-time, the flavor in the bones & spices will come out in the broth when they're cook slow and long (at least 8 hours)
-and the right trimmings with herbs such as basil, saw-leaf, cilantro, green onions (don't forget chilies, sprout, lime) to produce the right aroma (BECAUSE PHO IS ABOUT TASTES AS WELL AS SMELL)


AND YES i've search for recipes (and there are a lot of bad ones out there), experiemented, and with the recollection of the pho i've had...compiled my own recipe...so if you want mine, feel free to email.

And honestly, i cannot begin to comment on how many things are wrong with that first photo of the pho bowl.

Those growing up with pho, you know what i'm talking about, let's just start with these...

-noodle is not the right one
-beef is too thick, the broth will not be able to cook through its thickness (unless you cook it on the stove)
-lacking herbs & sauces

i looove pho. it might be my favorite food. i also love to cook, but considering pho is one of the cheapest, most fulfilling dishes one can buy, i'd rather spend the 7 bucks. philadelphia has a huge population of vietnamese restaurants, and i know i'd never be able to pull it off like they do.

Tragically, I live somewhere where the best pho we can get (outside of my house) is with the Vietnamese Student Association's once-a-month pho nights. I wish I could just spend the seven bucks! But pho is really worth making -- it's cheap, and while time-consuming, you can make enough to last for daaays at a time, even if you have it for almost every meal (which I'm capable of doing). Or, you can have all your friends over and they will sign over their souls to you for a bowl.

CallBob, your pho sounds a lot like ours, but you let it simmer for much longer. We usually hit about four hours and then we can't take it anymore, we have to have some!

It is painful to see pho desecrated in this forsaken fashion.
Pho is spiritual food and cannot be dumbed down and rushed and made convenient. Seriously guys. Let's have some GD respect, here.

I just had pho for lunch today at the v-place near work - can't go wrong with tai nam.....YUM!

callbob, could you please email your recipe to timo AT andres DOT com?

Thanks! I'll report back when I've tried it.

callbob -- I've been dreaming about good pho for days (months, actually)... it was my first meal after giving birth -- my husband got some from my favourite pho place...mmmm), and I crave it a lot. unfortunately, there is no good pho place here (in Geneva), and I have been searching for good recipes. could you please email me the recipe? goodfellow at web dot ca

Thank you!

Callbob, Im jumping on the recipe train here! Def will let you know after I make it. Thanks! Tweb2k AT yahoo DOT com

callbob,
I'd love to have your recipe too.
thanks,
bethsworld@gmail.com

i'll throw my hat in the ring as well and request a recipe.

vanessa at tongueandcheek dot ca

thanks callbob.

Callbob, can I check out your recipe too? Ours is mostly "eh, does that look like enough?" 475mimi at gmail dot com!

calibob, I would love it as well.... spydee AT me dot com

recipe coming to those requested.

best, everyone.

Callbob! Are you still checking this thread? I'd love your recipe, but I don't want to leave my email address out in the open. Is there another way to contact you?

callbob@gmail.com

sent recipe to those requested.

MONIKA1, however, your goodfellow at web dot ca
failed.