FOUNDATIONAL
Beef Pho Bone Broth
Forgiving, eyeballed pho stock—charred aromatics, smashed warm spices, and a long Instant Pot slow cook overnight.
Prep30 min
Cook16–24 hr
Total16–24 hr
Proportions are flexible; the bones carry most of the flavor. Lightly crush the dry spices, char the onion in an air fryer, and let the pot run overnight—you cannot go far wrong.
Ingredients
- 2 kg beef marrow and knuckle bones
- 2 medium onions (~300 g), halved for roasting
- 150 g fresh ginger (about 5 thumbs), unpeeled
- 6–8 whole cloves
- 3–4 whole black cardamom pods
- 4–6 whole star anise pods
- 1 Vietnamese cinnamon stick (~8 g), or 2 Mexican-style cinnamon sticks (~10 g each)
- 2 strips dried citrus peel (~5 g; orange, kumquat, or saved peel)
- 15 g dried Vietnamese or Chinese apple slices, or ½ medium apple (~80 g), cored
- 15 mL coriander seeds (~5 g)
- 3.5–4 L cold water (stay below Instant Pot max fill line)
- Fish sauce, rock sugar, and salt, to taste
Method
- optionalBlanch bones for 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.
- Lightly crush or smash the dry spices—black cardamom, star anise, cloves, coriander seeds, and cinnamon—so they release flavor into the broth.
- Roast halved onions in an air fryer at 200°C (390°F) for 15–20 minutes until deeply charred; char ginger alongside if it fits, or over a direct flame.
- Add bones, charred onion and ginger, crushed spices, citrus peel, apple, and water to a 6–8 qt Instant Pot—do not exceed the max fill line.
- Slow Cook on Low 16–24 hours overnight. Skim foam once if you can early on.
- Strain through a fine-mesh strainer; discard solids.
- Season with fish sauce, rock sugar, and salt when building bowls—not all at once; taste as you go.