Pho in the House

Pho tastes like springtime in your mouth. I've only had pho (prounounced FHA) once before at a shop on Argyle Street in Chicago, which is famous for its pho shops. When I lived in Chicago, I was a poor grad student; however, I made it my primary job to eat my way through the city's multitude of culinary offerings. I was a regular on Devon Street, where I happily dug through vindaloo after korma. I made a point to eat as many hot dogs in as many places as I could. Living on the south side, I'm pretty sure I ate at every restaurant in Hyde Park at least twice.

Pho, however, left an impression. I first had this dish with my friend Jet on a trip to Argyle Street in early spring. I think we'd actually already eaten that day, since we were food buddies and spent most of our time eating when we were together. Regardless, I was not in the mood for pho but I agreed to go anyway. The shop was empty so we got a ton of attention, and by the time our hot steaming bowls of anise scented broth showed up, our little table was full of condiments---cilantro, water mint, bean sprouts, chilies, limes, etc. For me, that sealed the deal. Like any good girl from a Mexican family, I am into my condiments, and I will make room for anything with lime in it. It was the perfect meal for a chilly spring afternoon in Chicago, and when I found this recipe in Lynne Rosetto Kaspar's How To Eat Supper, I knew it would translate into a great post-holiday dinner in January in the Berkshires. It's light, easy to make, and warms you up from the inside out. From the Splendid Table website (same recipe!):

Vietnamese Rice Noodle Soup with Beef and Fresh Herbs
Cook to Cook: Notice
that the thin-sliced beef goes into the bowl raw. The beef cooks in seconds under ladles of simmering broth. To slice meat extremely thin, freeze it for 20 to 30 minutes first. If Asian fresh herbs like perilla (aka shiso) and water mint are available, add them to the table salad.

Cheater's Asian Broth:
1 medium onion, thin sliced
4 large cloves garlic, thin sliced
2- to 3-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thin sliced
6 whole cloves
1 star anise, bruised, or 1/2 teaspoon anise seed
Fresh-ground black pepper
4 cans low sodium chicken stock, or regular chicken broth
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons Asian fish sauce
Soup:
6 to 8 ounces linguine-style rice noodles
6 to 8 ounces top round steak (chicken breast can be substituted), sliced extremely thin (see Cook to Cook)
Table Salad:
10 branches fresh coriander
6 to 8 branches Thai, or other basil
2 serrano or jalapeno chiles, thin sliced
Generous handful bean sprouts
1 large lime, cut into wedges
Hoisin sauce
Hot sauce
Position an oven rack 4 to 6 inches from the broiler, and preheat. Double up a very large piece of heavy foil. Scatter on the foil the onion, garlic, ginger, cloves, anise, and 5 grinds of pepper. Broil for 5 minutes, turning the pieces once. You want the onion to have some toasted edges, and the spices should be fragrant. Scrape everything into a 6-quart pot. Be sure to get all the anise seed.

Add the broth, sugar, and fish sauce, bring to a gentle bubble, cover tightly, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Put the rice noodles in a large bowl, and cover them with very hot tap water. (To keep them hot, cover the bowl with a plate.) Soak the noodles for 10 to 15 minutes or until they are tender, but with a little more firmness than you want. Stir a few times. When ready, drain and rinse well with cold water. Divide the noodles between 2 large soup bowls.
As the broth simmers and noodles soak, arrange the table salad on a platter and set out the sauces. To serve, divide the beef between the soup bowls. Ladle the bubbling broth into the bowls. Top each serving with a few sprigs of the coriander and serve.