Bún Bò Huế (Vietnamese Pork and Beef Soup)

Toppings and noodles

• 4-5 nests dried round vermicelli noodles, soaked
• Mint and coriander to serve
• Lime wedges
• Bean sprouts, washed
• Sliced red chilli, spring onions

Soup Broth

• 2 pig’s trotters, halved
• 500g piece beef shin
• 1 large brown onion, peeled, halved
• 4 lemongrass stalks, bashed
• 3inch-piece ginger, unpeeled, sliced
• 2 tbsp shrimp paste
• 250 - 300ml of water

Aromatic Oil

• 1 tbsp chilli powder
• ½ tbsp turmeric
• ½ tbsp cumin
• 1g saffron threads
• 3 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
• 4 thai shallots (finely chopped)
• 50ml - 100ml oil

Sate Sauce

• 100 ml vegetable oil
• 30g soaked dried chillies, finely chopped
• 1 lemongrass stalk, finely chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 4 thai shallots,finely chopped
• 2 tbsp chilli powder (gochugaru)
• 1 tbsp of sugar
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1 tbsp of fish sauce

PREPARATION

The Broth

Place the pig’s trotters in a pot of boiling water, and allow the scum to rise to the surface. Drain and rinse the trotters and place back into the pot and bring it up to boil again.

COOKING

While the broth gets to a boil, bash the lemongrass, halve the onion and thinly slice the ginger. Add those to the pot along with the beef and bring to a boil. Once boiling, allow it to simmer for at least 2 hours. Then strain the broth, saving the beef for later. Add some water to the shrimp paste, stir it and add to the broth.

Aromatic Oil

Cover the bottom of a pan with around 100ml oil, and add the aromatic spices. Get that to a medium high heat and allow to infuse for 2-3 minutes. Then add your shallots and garlic and cook it until translucent. Once cooked, pour the aromatic oil in your seasoned broth. Let the broth simmer while you make the sate.

Sate

Heat the oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the dried chillies and sate until soft (or 3 minutes), then add your aromatics (lemongrass, garlic and Thai shallots) and cook until softened and translucent. Once softened, add your chilli powder, fish sauce, sugar and salt and cook until everything dissolves in the oil. Pour into a bowl once cooked.

Serve

Follow the packet instructions for cooking your noodles. Drain and divide among serving bowls. Pour some broth over the noodles. Slice the beef and place on top, along with the beansprouts, coriander, mint, fresh chillis and a wedge of lime. Top with some sate sauce and enjoy!