Bún Bò Huế (Spicy Hue Beef Noodle Soup)

Method

1. Leave the shank in a large piece. Put it in a pot with the pork hock, cover with cold water and bring to the boil over high heat. Boil for 5 min, then drain and rinse the meat under running water to remove the scum. This keeps the broth clear.

   Add in this stepBeef shank 300 gPork hock (front leg), cut into 3–4 cm slices 350 g

   high heat

2. Cut two-thirds of the lemongrass into 10 cm lengths, bash them with the back of a knife and tie them in a bundle. In a clean 24 cm pot, combine the water, blanched meat, lemongrass bundle and halved onion and bring to the boil over high heat. Skim, then turn down to low heat and simmer gently for 1 h 30 min. When a chopstick slides easily into the shank, lift it out first and dip it briefly in cold water so it does not darken. Top up with hot water as the broth reduces.

   Add in this stepWater 2,000 mlLemongrass stalks 2⅛Onion 1

   high heat→low heat

3. For the saté chilli oil, mince the remaining lemongrass very finely. Warm the oil and annatto seeds in a small pan on low heat for 2 min, until the oil turns deep orange, then remove the seeds. In that oil, fry the shallots, garlic and minced lemongrass until fragrant and lightly browned, then turn off the heat and stir in the chilli flakes.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil 2 tbspAnnatto seeds (or 1 tsp paprika) 1½ tspShallots, minced 2Garlic, minced 3Lemongrass stalks 0.9Dried chilli flakes 1½ tsp

   low heat

4. Put the shrimp paste in a small bowl, stir in about four times its volume of water and leave it to settle for 10 min. Pour only the clear liquid into the broth and discard the sediment. Add the fish sauce, rock sugar, salt and half the saté oil and simmer on medium-low heat for 10 min more. Taste: it should be savoury, slightly sweet and spicy.

   Add in this stepVietnamese fermented shrimp paste (mắm ruốc) or shrimp paste 1½ tbspFish sauce 2 tbspRock sugar (or sugar) 15 gSalt 1 tsp

   medium-low heat

5. Bring 3 L of water to a rolling boil over high heat and cook the noodles for 12 min, until there is no white core left. Rinse under cold water to wash off the starch and drain well.

   Add in this stepThick round rice noodles (bún bò Huế noodles), dried 160 g

   high heat

6. Wash the bean sprouts, cabbage and herbs and arrange them on a plate; cut the lime into wedges. Slice the shank 3 mm thick. Put the noodles in bowls, top with shank and pork hock, red onion and sliced spring onions, then pour over the broth brought back to a rolling boil over high heat. Everyone adds the vegetables, herbs, lime and remaining saté at the table.

   Add in this stepMung bean sprouts 80 gCabbage, finely shredded (stands in for banana blossom) 60 gRed onion, thinly sliced ½Spring onions 2Vietnamese coriander (rau răm), or coriander 8 gMint 8 gLime 1

   high heat