Pho Bo (Vietnamese beef noodle soup)

Preparation

1. Put all the bones into a large pot, cover with cold water and boil for 5 to 10 minutes. Pour off the water and rinse the bones under cold water; this keeps the broth clear later.
2. Char the halved onions and the ginger slices in a dry frying pan over high heat (or under a hot oven grill) until dark in places but not burnt. Briefly toast the cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, star anise and coriander seeds in a pan until fragrant; they burn very quickly.
3. Put the bones, onions, ginger and spices into the pot, just cover with about 2 litres of cold water and heat slowly. As soon as it starts to simmer lightly, turn the heat to its lowest setting and add 1 tsp salt.
4. Simmer the broth very gently for 4 to 6 hours, skimming off fat and scum from time to time. The longer it simmers, the stronger it becomes.
5. Pour the broth through a fine sieve, discard the bones and onions and skim off the fat. Season with pepper, fish sauce and, if needed, the remaining salt.
6. Cook the rice noodles according to the packet instructions (about 5 to 8 minutes depending on the type), drain and rinse under cold water to remove the starch. Prepare the beef fillet, onions, spring onions and chilli.
7. Divide the noodles between four deep bowls, add the onion slices, spring onions, herbs, chilli, bean sprouts and a squeeze of lime, and lay the raw fillet slices on top.
8. Bring the broth back to a proper boil and pour it hot into the bowls; the heat cooks the meat in seconds. Serve at once with lime wedges and sriracha or hoisin sauce.

Drink with it

• Pale lager · excellent match

  Light lager, as drunk in Vietnam, ice cold

  Carbonation and gentle bitterness refresh between hot spoonfuls without weighing down the delicate broth.

  Pils or Helles: What's the Difference? ↗

• White wine · excellent match

  Riesling Kabinett feinherb or Grüner Veltliner

  Lively acidity meets the lime and herbs, a touch of residual sweetness softens chilli and fish sauce, and the delicate fruit leaves star anise and cinnamon room to shine.

  Which wine pairs with food? A simple approach to choosing ↗

• Red wine · good match

  Light Pinot Noir, lightly chilled

  Red fruit and barely any tannin suit the tenderly cooked beef fillet and the cinnamon-anise spicing without weighing down the clear broth.

• Ginjo sake · good match

  Ginjo, well chilled

  The fine fruitiness and elegance of ginjo sit alongside the umami of the clear broth without overpowering the star anise and herbs.

  Junmai, Ginjo, Daiginjo: What do these mean for sake? ↗