But when I was researching recipes for The Pho Cookbook, my mother, an 80-something-year-old woman with a precise food memory, told me about a pho noodle soup topped with a rich, stir fried beef. It’s a northern Vietnamese dish, found in and around Hanoi, the country’s capital. It’s ridiculously good and is called pho ap chao (aka pho tai lan) in Vietnamese. I developed a traditional recipe for the book but also enjoy this quick wok-kissed version when I don’t have time to simmer broth from scratch.
What “Wok-Kissed” Means
Mom isn’t very touchy-feely, but when she explained the dish to me, she softly pressed her cheek to mine. “Ap means to lightly touch,” she said. “Chao refers to a wok or skillet.” Then she described the dish of her 1940s childhood: The street vendor briefly warmed fresh rice noodles in his hot wok to let them pick up a bit of wok hei essence and fatty richness. After he emptied the noodles into a bowl, he quickly stir-fried beef, onion, and garlic and added them to the noodles. The broth was ladled into the bowl or served on the side, if the customer desired. It was simple and tasty, she recalled with a wistful smile. Her description inspired me to name the dish Wok-Kissed Pho. You can prepare it with from-scratch broth (use the pressure cooker or stovetop to simmer beef pho recipes in The Pho Cookbook), but this quick version involves canned broth, making it extra easy and fast to whip up on a weeknight. In the bowl, the broth imbues the beef with extra umami goodness.
Pho Ingredient Pointers
At your local supermarket, mine the Asian foods aisle for the condiments and the noodles (Annie Chun’s pad Thai noodles are terrific). The spice or bulk spice section will have the star anise, cinnamon, and clove. To allow pho aromatics and spices to shine, use a combination of beef and chicken broths, which yields a lighter, more appropriate canvas for painting a pho profile. Swanson is my go-to brand for broth, because it offers good beefy or chicken-y flavor and not much else. If you use other brands and the sodium count is lower than that of Swanson (check the nutrition labels), you’ll need more salt and fish sauce than what’s suggested in the recipe. Compared to from-scratch broth, this quickie version is a touch cloudy. It’s natural and not a deal breaker, though if you like, you may strain the finished broth through muslin for a little extra clarity. For delicate sweetness, season the broth with organic sugar or maple syrup; they have a rounder, more complex flavor than regular white sugar.
Make-Ahead Steps
Don’t be deterred by the longish recipe. Break it down into stages:
You can make the broth up to three days ahead.The beef can be marinated up to a day in advance and brought to room temperature before stir-frying.The noodles are best boiled the day you use them, because once refrigerated, cooked rice noodles dry out, harden, and can break easily when they’re revived.
If noodles need warming by the time you’re ready to assemble and serve, portion them into bowls and microwave each bowl on high for 30-second blasts. Or, you can warm all the noodles in the skillet over medium heat with a little oil, then divide them among the noodle soup bowls. Then reheat the skillet to stir-fry the beef.
Tweaks for Tinkerers
There are often goodies stuck to the pan after stir-frying the meat. Throw the bean sprouts into the hot pan and briefly stir-fry them to pick up those savory bits. Once the sprouts have slightly softened, after about 90 seconds, remove the pan from the heat and divide the sprouts among the bowls. The recipe here uses a skillet, but if you’ve got a well-seasoned wok, go for it! What are you waiting for? With ingredients within easy reach, you can create a marvelous old school pho in a simply delicious modern manner.
Want More Vietnamese Recipes?
First of all check out my books, Vietnamese Food Any Day and The Pho Cookbook! Also, try these other recipes here on Simply Recipes:
Quick Chicken Pho Char Siu Chicken Vietnamese Chicken Curry (Cà Ri Gà) Vietnamese-Style Sticky Chicken Skewers Vietnamese-Style Noodle Bowls with Chicken
Chubby 1-inch (1 ounce) section ginger 3 medium-large green onions 1 1/2 to 2 star anise (12 to 16 robust points total; use the max if you like spice) Slender 3-inch cinnamon stick, broken in half 3 whole cloves 4 cups low-sodium beef broth, preferably Swanson 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, preferably Swanson 2 cups water 1 teaspoon fine sea salt 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce 1 teaspoon organic sugar, or 2 teaspoons maple syrup (optional)
For the pho:
10 ounces dried medium flat rice noodles (aka pad Thai noodles) 12 ounces well-trimmed beef steak (such as top sirloin, tri-tip, or flank steak), cut across the grain into bite-size strips a scant 1/4-inch thick (chopstickable pieces, about 1- x 3- x scant 1/4-inch thick) 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed 3/4 teaspoon white or brown sugar 1 teaspoon cornstarch 2 teaspoons fish sauce 2 teaspoons soy sauce 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1/2 small (2 ounce) yellow or red onion, cut along the grain into narrow wedges 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, leafy tops only 2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil, plus more as needed
Optional add-ins (choose none, some, or all):
4 handfuls bean sprouts 1 or 2 Thai or serrano chiles, or 1 sliced jalapeño or Fresno, thinly sliced with seeds intact 4 to 6 sprigs mint 4 to 6 sprigs Thai basil 4 to 6 lime wedges Hoisin sauce Sriracha sauce
Thinly slice the green parts of the green onion to yield 1/4 cup; set aside for garnish. Cut the leftover sections into pinkie-finger lengths, smack with the flat side of the knife, then add to the ginger. In a 4-quart pot, toast the star anise, cinnamon, and cloves over medium heat until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the ginger and green onion sections. Stir for 30 seconds, until aromatic. Slide the pot off the heat, wait about 15 seconds to cool a bit, then pour in the beef and chicken broths. Return the pot to the burner, then add the water and salt. Bring to a boil over high, then lower the heat to gently simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Season the broth with fish sauce and sugar to create a strong savory-sweet note. Keep the broth warm over medium heat. If it comes to a boil, lower the heat and cover. Increase the heat to high and add the beef, spreading it out into a single layer. Let it cook, undisturbed, for about 1 minute. When the beef begins browning, use a spatula to flip and stir for 1 to 2 minutes, until it is still slightly rare. Invite guests to enjoy this like other pho noodle soup—using a two-handed approach to wield chopsticks and a soup spoon. They should include as many add-ins as they wish!
