Ingredients
For the fortified broth:
1 large onion, quartered
1 bulb garlic, trimmed to expose the cloves, keep root attached
3 inches peeled and halved ginger root
A spray of non-aerosol oil or olive oil
3 star anise
3 pods of cardamom
3 cloves
1 tablespoon coriander seed
1 cinnamon stick
1 large fresh bay leaf
1 teaspoon white or black peppercorns
2 quarts broth (for beef, use beef brodo or bone broth; for chicken, shrimp or pork, use chicken brodo or bone broth)
About 2½ tablespoons fish sauce
Juice of 1 lime
To serve:
Cook's choice of: 1½ pounds flank, boneless sirloin or rib eye, very thinly sliced; 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, very thinly sliced; 1 pork tenderloin, very thinly sliced; or 20 to 24 large shrimp, peeled, deveined and halved across the vein line
1 pound thin rice noodles
Fine sea salt
4 cups packed Thai mint (2 bunches, picked), Thai basil (2 bunches, picked) and cilantro (1 large bunch, picked)
2 jalapeño or 3 serrano peppers for spicy, or Fresno chilies for milder, very thinly sliced
1 package mung bean sprouts
2 limes, cut into wedges
Hoisin and Sriracha or sambal oelek, to pass at table
Preparation
Serves: 4
For the fortified broth, char onion, garlic and ginger under boiler. Place in soup pot.
Wrap star anise, cardamom, cloves, coriander, cinnamon, bay and peppercorns in cheesecloth or fill a large tea filter bag and tie off with kitchen string. Add to soup pot.
Add broth, fish sauce and lime juice to soup pot with 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 to 30 minutes at low, then strain and return to pot. Bring to a boil before serving.
To serve, place your protein of choice in freezer for a few minutes to firm for thin slicing.
Bring water to boil per package directions, cook noodles about 6 minutes, drain.
Line large bowls with a sprinkle of fine sea salt. To each bowl, add noodles to one side and sliced protein to the other, pour over boiling hot broth and add ¼ of the herbs off to the side and sprinkle over with chilies and sprouts, and add wedges of lime. Pass with sauces to mix in.
