Hanoi Beef And Rice Noodle Soup (Pho Bo) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Broth
3 lbs beef oxtails
3/4 cup thinly sliced fresh ginger (about 3 ounces)
2/3 cup coarsely chopped shallot (about 3 medium shallots)
5 quarts water
4 cups coarsely chopped daikon radishes (about 1 pound)
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons Thai fish sauce (such as Three Crabs)
1 teaspoon white peppercorns
5 whole cloves
2 star anise
1 large yellow onion, peeled and quartered
1 cinnamon stick
Remaining ingredients
2 cups vertically sliced onions
12 ounces wide stick rice noodles (banh pho)
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
12 ounces eye of round roast, trimmed and cut into 1/16-inch slices
2 cups cilantro leaves
1 cup Thai basil
4 Thai red chili peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
8 lime wedges
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce (optional)

Preparation

To prepare broth, heat a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add oxtail, ginger, and shallots; saute 8 minutes or until ginger and shallots are slightly charred.
Add water and next 8 ingredients (through cinnamon stick); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 4 hours. Strain broth through a sieve into a large bowl; discard solids.
Return broth to pan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook until reduced to 10 cups (about 30 minutes).
Skim fat from surface; discard fat. Keep warm.
To prepare remaining ingredients, add sliced onion to broth. Place noodles in a large bowl, and cover with boiling water.
Let stand 20 minutes. Drain. Place 1/3 cup bean sprouts in each of 6 soup bowls.
Top each serving with 1 1/3 cup noodles and 2 ounces eye-of-round.
Carefully ladle 1 2/3 cups boiling broth over each serving (boiling broth will cook the meat). Serve with cilantro, basil, chiles, limes, and hoisin, if desired.