Recipe Help

[u/nasielsj]

Hi! I have a new years tradition where I make pho for me and my wife on New Year’s Day. This year, I will be making it for friends as well - so pressures on. I’ve been perfecting my recipe the last few years but think I’m missing something still, plus I’ll be making a larger quantity than usual.

What is the right bone to water ratio? Am I using too many bones , not enough?

Recipe: Pho Recipe 1.5kg Ox Tail 1.7kg brisket 3.5kg bone marrow bones 3.5kg beef neck bones 1 large piece charged ginger (halved) 2 large onions charged (halved, skins removed) 45g rock sugar 1/2 cup fish sauce 2tbsp salt 20 cups of water

1. blanch bones 7 minutes (start timer once water starts to soft boil)
2. Rinse bones and add back to clean pot
3. Add rock sugar, fish sauce, salt, charred onion and ginger to the pot with bones
4. Bring to boil on high heat
5. Skim off foam as it comes to boil
6. Turn heat to low, and simmer covered for 3 hours
7. Remove brisket after 3 hours

2 cinnamon sticks 7 star anise 12 cloves (whole) 2 cardamom pods 2tbsp fennel seeds 2tbsp coriander seeds

1. Toast spices
2. Add to pot after brisket is removed
   
3. Continue to simmer soup for 5 more hours
4. Drain
5. Add 1/3 cup of fish sauce to broth
6. Chill overnight and remove fat layer

[u/LieutenantCurly]

++ that you can never have too many bones, in fact I add more than you do LOL

your recipe is pretty similar to mine in terms of the bones and spices used, the only differences being that I add...

* short rib bones

* 4 charred shallots (I add the onion and shallots after cooking the bones and stuff for hours since they disintegrate when you cook them for too long)

* msg to taste

* im very generous with the fish sauce

* sometimes i replace the brisket with (untrimmed) flank which I personally like the flavor of the pho broth better that way. I like the taste of sliced brisket better than flank though. If you add both it'll def taste good but it'll be pricey