Bun Bo Hue

Instructions

MAIN SOUP INGREDIENTS

• 6 Lbs Beefy ‘Neck’ Bones (or beefy bone-in beef shank)
• 2 Lbs Boneless Beef Shank (if you buy beefy bone in shanks adjust this accordingly)
• 1/3 of a Pineapple, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 12 Stalks Fresh Lemongrass, trim off the upper halves, bruise the stalks, and tie them up in a bunch
• 1 Large Yellow Onion, cut of the ends and peel the skin
• 5 Inch Piece Fresh Ginger (palm size), sliced in half length wise
• 4 Tsp Salt
• 1 Tbsp Chicken Bouillon (I used the brand Better than Bouillon)
• 1 Inch Piece of Rock Sugar or 2 Tbsp Sugar/Erythritol

MEATBALL INGREDIENTS

• 1 Loaf Vietnamese Uncooked Processed Ham/Sausage (Be suggests using either gio song or cha lua song. She mentions that it can be purchased at most Vietnamese grocery stores in the freezer section)
• 1 Tsp Black Pepper
• 1/4 Lb Ground Pork
• 3 Cloves Garlic, chopped (approximately 1 Tsp)
• 1 Tbsp Shallots, minced
• 2 Scallions, chopped
• 1 Tsp Paprika (use dry bun bo hue seasoning instead if you have it on hand)
• 1/2 Tsp Sugar/Erythritol
• 2 Tbsp Fish Sauce
• 2 Tsp Baking Powder

SATE INGREDIENTS

• 4 Tbsp Canola Oil
• 5 Cloves Garlic, minced (approximately 2 Tsp)
• 3 Tbsp Lemongrass, minced (frozen ones ok)
• 1/4 Cup Shallots, minced
• 1 Tbsp Fish Sauce
• 1 Tbsp Crushed Red Peppers or Chili Powder (optional)
• 2 Tbsp Paprika (use dry bun bo hue seasoning instead if you have it on hand)

MAIN SOUP SEASONING INGREDIENTS

• 5 Tbsp Fish Sauce (adjust to your preference)
• 2 Cubes Bun Bo Hue Stock Bouillons
• 2 Tbsp Fine Shrimp Paste (mam tom/ruoc)

GARNISH & NOODLE INGREDIENTS

• Thick rice vermicelli noodles (cook 30-45 minutes prior to serving)
• Chopped cilantro
• Lime wedges
• Yellow Onions, thinly sliced
• Green Cabbage, thinly sliced

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

1. Par boil the bones and beef shank for about 10 minutes. Drain and wash the bones and beef shank well to remove all impurities. Wash the pot well to remove any bone and meat residue. 
2. Add bones and beef shank back to a clean pot.
3. Add 28 cups cold water to the pot.
4. Add the pineapple, onion, lemongrass bundle, ginger halves, salt, chicken bouillon, and sugar/erythritol to the pot.
5. Bring soup to a rolling boil, then lower the heat to medium and simmer for 2.5 hours. While the soup is simmering, remove any scum/impurities from the surface of the soup.
6. To prepare the meatballs, combine all ingredients for meatballs in a mixing bowl and mix well. Cover and keep it in a refrigerator until it is needed.
7. To prepare the sate, heat oil in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the lemongrass and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes then turn off heat and immediately add the garlic, red chili flakes/powder, paprika/bun bo hue powder, and fish sauce. Mix well to incorporate all the remaining ingredients and set aside.
8. To prepare the rice noodles, add the rice noodles in pot of  boiling water, stir to make sure all noodles are completely submerged. Test a noodles at the 15 minute mark and add cooking time as needed till noodles are fully cooked. Note that for this meal we do not want al dente noodles. I cooked my noodles for about 20 minutes.
9. After the noodles are cooked, drain and rinse noodles in a colander under cold water to remove excess starch and heat from the noodles. After the rinsing is complete drain remaining water completely and let noodles rest with no cover. Fluff the noodles periodically so that it does not stick together. Be suggests that air-drying the noodles help the noodles absorb the flavor of the soup better and I am down for that. 🙂
10. After 2.5 hours, remove all vegetables, fruits, and beef shank from the soup pot. Discard the fruits and vegetables. Wrap beef shank tightly and refrigerate.
11. Dissolve the shrimp paste in 1 cup of cold water. Let it sit for 10 minutes to settle the dregs. Fill a saucepan with 2 cups of water and pour the shrimp paste liquid into the saucepan, being careful not to agitate the  liquid while pouring. Discard the dregs at the bottom. Bring the liquid in the saucepan to a boil, then remove from the heat and let it sit for 15 mins, undisturbed, to settle the dregs again. Again pour the shrimp paste liquid from the saucepan in the stock pot, being careful not to agitate the  liquid while pouring. Again, discard the dregs at the bottom.
12. Remove beef shank from the refrigerator and slice into 1/8 inch thick pieces. Cover and keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
13. Now it is time to add the main soup seasoning ingredients. Add fish sauce, bun bo hue seasoning and sate to the soup. Adjust fish sauce or salt to taste.
14. Get the meatball ingredients from the refrigerator and find your ice cream scoop. Meanwhile, bring soup to a rolling boil. When the soup is boiling drop the meatballs into pot using a small size ice cream scoop (I just used my hand to form meatballs before dropping it into the soup pot). The meatballs will float to the surface once it is done cooking.
15. In a serving bowl, arrange cooked noodles, the meat slices then ladle over the broth with meatballs. Add all the desired garnishes. Squeeze a wedge of fresh lime and you are ready to enjoy this amazing bowl of Bun Bo Hue!