Pho Bo (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup gingerroot, thinly sliced
1 cup shallot, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon anise seed or 3 star anise, whole
1 cinnamon stick
1 1/2 lbs beef chuck, boned, rinsed and fat trimmed
2 1/4 quarts beef broth (fat skimmed if homemade)
1/4 cup Southeast Asian fish sauce (Nouc Mam Sauce)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons Southeast Asian fish sauce (Nouc Mam Sauce)
2 cups bean sprouts, rinsed (optional)
1/4 cup jalapeno chile, thinly sliced (optional)
1/2 cup Thai basil, rinsed (optional)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, rinsed (optional)
3 limes, rinsed and cut into wedges (optional)
8 ounces sirloin steaks, fat trimmed, very thinly sliced
6 cups cooked rice vermicelli
1/2 cup yellow onion, thinly sliced
3/4 cup green onion, thinly sliced (including tops)
hoisin sauce (optional)
Southeast Asian fish sauce (Nouc Mam Sauce) (optional)

Preparation

Wrap ginger, anise, shallots and cinnamon in two layers of cheesecloth; tie with heavy cotton string.
In a 10 qt pan, combine beef chuck, broth, 2 1/2 qts water, nouc mam sauce, sugar and spice bundle. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Uncover, reduce heat and simmer until beef is tender when pierced (1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours).
With a slotted spoon, transfer meat to a freezer container and freeze overnight. Cool soup and then refridgerate overnight.
The next day, take frozen beef chuck and thinly slice across the grain into 2 to 3 inch slices.
Skim and discard fat from broth. Add 1/8 tsp salt and 2 tbsp Nouc Mam sauce. Bring broth back to boil.
Arrange bean sprouts, chiles, basil, cilantro, and limes on a platter.
Once broth boils, reduce to simmer. Immerse sliced sirloin in simmering broth (use wire strainer or skimmer) and cook just until brown on the outside but still pink in the center (30 seconds to 1 min). Lift out and set aside.
Mound hot cooked rice noodles equally in deep bowls (at least 3 cup capacity). Top equally with beef chuck, sirloin, yellow onion and green onions.
Ladle broth over noodles to cover generously.
Serve Pho Bo with platter of condiments, hoisin sauce and chili paste adding to taste.