BÚN BÒ HUẾ - Vietnamese Spicy Beef Noodle Soup | Helen's Recipes

Bun Bo Hue is a spicy Vietnamese pork and beef noodle soup that is absolutely addictive and it's also my personal favorite noodle soup in the world. I've shared the recipe twice on this channel and today I will share my most updated version after coming back Vietnam and eating it even more often. Satay on the homemade spicy chili paste is the highlight of Bun Bo Hue. It's garlicky, spicy and full of lemongrass flavor. It gives the soup a fiery orange-red color that is so eye-catching. You will need shallot, lemongrass, garlic, vegetable oil, hot pepper flakes, some water, fish sauce, and sugar. Firstly, combine 3 tablespoons of chili flakes with 3 tablespoons water, 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl. Stir well to dissolve. To make annatto oil, heat a quarter cup of vegetable oil in a pan. Then add a tablespoon of the annatto seeds. Wait 30 seconds for them to release the color. Strain to discard the seeds. Then return the oil back to the pan. Add 4 tablespoons of minced lemongrass and 2 tablespoons of minced shallots, a tablespoon of minced garlic and saute it until fragrant. Lower the heat and add the chili mix. Simmer and stir for 2 minutes until thickened. Wow, it smells incredibly awesome. You can make a big batch and save for other times. To make the broth, you will need 1 kilogram of pork hock, which should be cut into 1-inch sticks, 1 kilogram of beef bones, 1 kilogram of beef shank or beef brisket, about 8 stalks of lemongrass, some rock sugar, fish sauce, stock powder, Vietnamese shrimp paste, mam ruoc, salt, scallion, and onion. You definitely need beef bones to cook Bun Bo Hue. A mix of beef bones like neck, knuckles, and marrow bones would make the soup very flavorful. I've tried many times with pork bones only and it doesn't taste as good. Parboil the bones in a pot of water for about 5 minutes with some salt and vinegar. When the impurities rise to the top, dump out the whole pot and rinse well under running water. This helps to reduce the smell and also keep the broth clear. Do the same with the pork hock but in a separate pot to keep the original flavor of the pork meat. Also parboil for about 3-5 minutes with some salt and vinegar, then rinse well. Now combine the beef bones and the pork hock in a large pot filled with about 5 liters of water. Add 1 peeled onion to make the broth more flavorful and clear. Add 4 stalks of bruised lemongrass, a piece of rock sugar, and 2 tablespoons of salt. Also add the beef shanks, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cook for about 60-90 minutes, skimming occasionally. After about 45 minutes, the pork hock will be tender. Remove and transfer to an ice water bowl. This helps the skin to tighten and more crunchy. The beef shank is now also cooked through but not tender yet, but you also want to remove it. Keep simmering the broth for about 1-2 more hours. Now dissolve 1 tablespoon of Vietnamese shrimp paste with 200ml of room temperature water. Stir really well so it's completely dissolved. Leave to sit for 30 minutes to settle the red. Then extract the clear broth on top and add to the soup pot. This will help to intensify the flavor of the broth. For the not yet tender beef shank, I will thinly slice and saute in a pan with 2 tablespoons of the satay. Stir well then add a ladle of the broth and continue to simmer for 15 minutes so that they absorb all the amazing flavors from the satay and become so tender and tasty. One important item of a Bun Bo Hue bowl in Vietnam that cannot be missed is the crab meatball. This succulent and juicy crab meatball has a beautiful orange-red color. You will need 100g of crab meat, 200g of pork paste, some garlic and shallots, Annatto oil, stock powder, pepper and vegetable oil. Heat 4 tablespoons of annatto oil in a pan, saute the minced garlic and shallots until fragrant, then leave to cool. Combine the crab meat and pork paste in a large bowl, add pepper, stock powder, a tablespoon of the fried shallots and garlic, 3 tablespoons of the annatto oil, then mix well to combine. Use the back of a spoon to press the paste to the side of the bowl. Keep doing this for a few minutes, then chill in the freezer for 10 minutes so the meat will not become too warm. Repeat for 2-3 times until your hands feel heavy. This technique will help to make your crab meatball has a springy texture which is really appreciated by the Vietnamese. Use 2 spoons to shape the pork paste into equal-sized balls and add to the broth. They will float to the surface when cooked. I also bruised 4 more stalks of lemongrass and add to the soup pot at this stage so the broth will smell freshly of the herbaceous lemongrass. Then add more satay to the broth. Season to your taste again with some stock powder and fish sauce. Arrange the round rice vermicelli noodle into the bowl, top with the crab meatballs and the beef shank, a piece of pork hock, and ladle that amazingly fragrant and delicious broth over. Sprinkle with some chopped onion and cilantro. And there you have it, the legendary Bun Bo Hue from the old capital city of Vietnam. Doesn't it look incredibly tasty? Most authentic noodle soup from Central Vietnam will be served with a bowl of pickled shallots and carrots. You can quickly make this with some chili, shallots, carrot, salt, vinegar, and sugar. Dice up the carrots. Peel the shallots and cut in half or quarters. In a saucepan, combine 120g sugar, 200ml of vinegar, and a teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve. Turn off the heat and leave to cool. When the brine has cooled down completely, combine with the shallots and carrots. Also cut up some red and green chilies. And adding, keep the vegetables soaked in the brine for half an hour and it's ready to serve. You can serve the Bun Bo Hue with a bowl of pickled vegetables and a platter of fresh greens to have the perfect Vietnamese-style dining experience. It's quite time-consuming to prepare but I promise it's gonna be so worth it. Let me know what you think about my spicy beef and pork noodle soup. Don't forget to share with me a photo if you give it a try. And subscribe to my channel for more amazing recipes like this. I will see you then next time. Bye!