Bun Bo Hue
Lemongrass-chile beef broth, thick rice noodles, shank and brisket and herb plate.
Maui's an app that plans a whole week of dinners like this one. See how it works ↓
The annatto-chile oil is the whole point - that red sheen on top isn't decoration, it's the dish. Make extra and use it on rice, eggs, anything. Keeps 2 weeks in the fridge.
Ingredients
Everything below makes 6 servings.
- 2 lbbeef shank (bone-in)
- 1 lbbeef brisket
- 10 cupsstore-bought beef broth
- 1¼ lbthick rice vermicelli noodles (bun bo hue style)
- 5lemongrass stalkssmashed, white part split in half lengthwise
- 2 inchfresh gingersliced
- 1 mediumyellow onionhalved
- 3 mediumshallotsminced (for chile oil)
- 8garlic clovesminced (for chile oil)
- 2 tbspannatto seeds
- 3 tbspdried red chili flakes (or crushed Thai chiles)
- ½ cupneutral oil
- ⅓ cupfish sauce
- 2 tbsprock sugar (or light brown sugar)
- 1½ tspkosher salt
- 1 bunchThai basilleaves picked (garnish)
- ½ cupfresh cilantrochopped (garnish)
- 3 cupsbean sproutsrinsed (garnish)
- 2 cupsshredded green cabbagethinly shredded (garnish)
- 4scallionsthinly sliced
- 3limecut into wedges
In the app these rescale to however many people you're feeding.
Nutrition
Per serving, as written.
- 540calories
- 38gprotein
- 56gcarbs
- 18gfat
Swaps move these numbers. A different protein or base changes them.
Instructions
Knife work first, then the stove. Nothing below asks you to chop while something burns.
- Smash lemongrass stalks with the side of a knife; cut white parts in half lengthwise.
- Slice ginger, halve onion, mince shallots and garlic separately (shallots+garlic are for the chile oil).
- Shred cabbage, slice scallions, pick basil, chop cilantro, wedge limes.
Blanch beef
Place shank and brisket in stockpot, cover with cold water. Bring to a boil 5 min - this leaches surface scum. Drain, rinse beef under cold water, scrub the pot clean. This step is what makes the broth clear and clean-tasting.
10 min · hands onBuild broth
Return rinsed beef to pot. Add broth, lemongrass, ginger, onion, fish sauce, sugar, and salt. Bring to a bare simmer (skim foam) and cook 2 hr, covered, until shank meat is fork-tender.
120 min · hands offMake chile oil
In small saucepan, heat oil over medium with annatto seeds 3 min until the oil turns deep red - strain out the seeds. Return oil to the pan, add minced shallot and garlic, cook 1 min. Stir in chili flakes off heat (they burn fast). Set aside half for the broth, half for the table.
6 min · hands onSlice and finish broth
Lift beef out, cool 10 min, slice shank meat off the bone and slice brisket thin against the grain. Strain broth through sieve (discard lemongrass and onion). Stir half the chile oil into the strained broth. Bring back to a hard simmer.
10 min · hands onCook noodles
Cook noodles per package - usually 6 min boil in a separate pot. Drain, rinse briefly, divide into 6 bowls.
6 min · hands onBuild bowls
Pile sliced shank and brisket over noodles. Ladle the chile-spiked broth over. Top with scallions and cilantro. Pass cabbage, sprouts, basil, lime, and the remaining chile oil at the table - each person dresses their own.
3 min · hands onMake it yours
Every swap here is one Maui already knows how to make, including what it does to the timing.
Use 3 lb shank instead of split shank/brisket; same braise time.
What keeps
Bun bo hue is BETTER day 2 - the lemongrass-chile broth deepens. Broth and meat keep 4 days, freeze 2 months.
Cook noodles per bowl. Chile oil keeps 2 weeks separately.
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