Pho day 2 @ the house

So like I said in the previous post, I was going to make some Phở at the house. Well on my way home I picked of a whole roasted chicken at the local market. It seems that I end up at the market just about every day for some item. I normally look for “Manager Specials”; they are great options for same day cooking. “Manager special” are those marked down items for quick sell. Example, day old bread, dairy that will expire in 3days, ect… So I picked up a “Manager Special” roasted chicken for $2.50 and some Celery for a $1.00.

At home, I always first inventory items needed to prepare the meal prior to cooking. This is just in case I need to go back to the market. Items needed to make Pho; basil, fresh bean sprouts, fresh jalapenos, Protein of choice, stock, onion, and rice noodles (I always have most of these in the refrigerator) You may not have these items ready at hand so make a list.

I will skip the stock making techniques I used to make my stock (made about 1gal. You can make your own or just buy a pre-made stock at the local market. If you would like to make your own here is a list of items you would need to make a basic Chicken stock. I know that Pho is normally made with a beef stock, but chicken was on sale. At the restaurant I like to eat at I normally get the #9 or "Pho Dac Biet with - rare steak, well done flank, brisket, tendon & tripe.

· 4 - 5 Pounds Raw Chicken with Bones
· 2 Medium Carrots, peeled and cut into 2" pieces
· 1 Celery Stalk, cut into 2" pieces, leaves removed
· 1 Large Yellow Onion, peeled and quartered
· 3 Cloves Garlic, peeled
· 1 Tablespoon Black Peppercorns
· 1 Small Bunch Parsley (with stems), washed
· 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
· Cold Water, to cover

So If you would like a chicken Pho you would need to pick your bird clean of meat, take off any chicken skin, this will make your pho greasy. Heat up stock to just about boiling temperature. While stock is heating up Julian cut your onions and place them into the stock. I like to add celery to my Pho stock; it gives it another texture and replaces the tarragon leaves. Tarragon leaves are not something you can always find fresh in your local market. In a second bowl heat your water for noodles. In the sink have a large ice water bath bowl ready for noodles when they done cooking. After noodles are cooked place them into the ice bath and let them cool.

At the table I usually have fresh basil, jalapenos, and bean sprouts. These items you will add to your pho as you are eating. I normally set these out just before stock has come to temp. When every thing is set-up, I typically crank the heat up on the stock so it starts to boil.

Now you are ready to serve, (large bowl is needed) with tongs pull out desired amount of noodles and place into bowl. Then add chicken and pour broth into bowl. If you have used one large yellow onion there should be plenty of onion in with your stock when you pour it in. There is no need to heat up chicken unless it has just come out of the refrigerator. The stock is plenty hot.

At the table add desired amounts of fresh basil, jalapenos, and bean sprouts (I will warn you that adding to many jalapenos will really open up your sinus and make your nose runny. I also like to pour in a little hoisin sauce.

This is a fairly cheep meal to prepare; I believe it cost me just under $20 dollars to make, and left me with left-overs for the next 2days for lunches at work.

Enjoy,

Ryan M. Greer

It was Phở and it was going to be lunch :(

Well on a cold day like we had today in Colorado, soup is always on the menu. Since yesterday, all I could think about was eating Phở for lunch. For the people out there that do no know what Phở is, here is a simple description.

Phở a traditional Vietnamese soup that consist of thinly sliced meat and rice-noodle. Phở is served with a bowl of white rice noodles in clear beef broth or chicken broth, with thin cuts of beef (steak, fatty flank, lean flank, brisket). Variations featuring tendon,tripe, meatballs, chicken leg, chicken breast, or other chicken organs. The dish is garnished with ingredients such as green onions, white onions, coriander leaves or (long coriander),Thai basil, lime wedges, and fresh bean sprouts.

Well long story short, the place was packed and no where to sit. So I had to settle on a very bad BBQ at a place next door, and gave me the idea to create a blog about food.

So I have decided to make some Phở tonight. It can be cheap and easy to make. This soup will knock out a common cold quickly, but tends to leave you sniffing and blowing your nose as you are finished. Tomorrow I will add the recipe that I created with what I had in the kitchen.

Enjoy,

Ryan M. Greer