Quick Pho Broth
Traditional broth takes all day, but you can achieve a similar clarity and intensity by leveraging pressure. This method prioritizes the char on your onions and ginger to set the foundation before the pressure does the heavy lifting.
Clean bones mean clear broth.
Blanching the bones in boiling water for ten minutes before pressure cooking removes the grey foam that clouds a finished soup. Do not skip this initial boil if you want a clean-tasting result.
- Pressure cooker
- Large stockpot
- Tongs
- Fine-mesh sieve
What goes in.
- 3 lbbeef marrow bones
- 2yellow onions, halved
- 4 inchginger, sliced lengthwise
- 3star anise
- 1cinnamon stick
- 1 tbspcoriander seeds
- 3 tbspfish sauce
- 1 tbsprock sugar
- 8 cupswater
Deepening the aromatics
Hold your onion halves and ginger over an open gas flame or under a broiler until the skins are blackened and charred. This smoke-infused char is what gives the broth its characteristic dark, toasted base.
The method.
Blanch the bones
Place bones in a large pot, cover with water, and boil for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse the bones under cold running water to scrub away impurities.
Char the aromatics
Blacken the onion halves and ginger on all sides over an open flame until soft and charred, about 5-8 minutes.
Toast the spices
Lightly toast star anise, cinnamon, and coriander in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, then transfer to a spice bag.
Pressure cook
Place bones, aromatics, spice bag, fish sauce, and sugar into the pressure cooker. Add water, seal, and cook on high pressure for 45 minutes.
Strain
Allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot and adjust seasoning with extra fish sauce if needed.
Other turns to take.
Chicken Pho
Substitute beef bones for whole chicken carcasses or necks; reduce pressure cooking time to 25 minutes.
Vegetarian Base
Use dried shiitake mushrooms and charred leeks instead of beef bones, increasing the quantity of charred ginger for bite.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Skim any fat that floats to the surface after straining if you prefer a lighter, clearer broth.
If your broth looks cloudy, turn the heat to low and drop in one egg white, then skim it out; it acts as a magnet for fine particles.
Serve immediately with fresh rice noodles, thinly sliced raw beef, and heaps of Thai basil.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use standard table sugar instead of rock sugar?
You can, but rock sugar provides a cleaner, more mellow sweetness that complements the beef fat better than refined white sugar.
Why is my broth bitter?
Usually, this happens if the ginger or onions were charred too heavily or if the cinnamon stick was left in too long. Remove the spice bag as soon as the pressure cooking cycle ends.
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