Bun bo Hue
Bún bò Huế: spicy lemongrass beef and pork noodle soup from the old imperial city
Huế, once the seat of Vietnam's emperors, is known for food that is spicier and bolder than in the north or south, and this soup is the city's breakfast. Compared with pho it is louder in every way: the broth smells of lemongrass and fermented shrimp, it glows red with chilli oil, and the noodles are thick and round. Beef shank and slices of pork hock go in every bowl, often with pork roll, and it comes with a plate of mint, banana blossom and bean sprouts. Locals add pig's blood cubes too, which we leave out here. Chef's tip: bruise the lemongrass stalks hard with a rolling pin before they go in, so their oils flood the broth.
- Total time
- 180 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the broth
For the chilli oil (sa tế)
For the bowls
Method
0/11 doneStep 1: Put the 2 ¼ lb pork bones, 1 ⅓ lb beef shank and 1 ⅓ lb pork hock in a large pot, cover with cold water and bring to a hard boil. Boil for 5 minutes, then drain, rinse everything well and clean the pot.
15 minStep 2: Return the meat and bones to the pot with the 16 ¾ cups water, 6 lemongrass stalks and 1 onion. Bring to the boil, then lower to a steady simmer and skim off the foam for the first 15 minutes.
20 minStep 3: Simmer uncovered until the beef shank is tender when pierced with a skewer. Lift it out into a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes, then drain and set aside.
75 minStep 4: Keep simmering until the pork hock is soft and comes away from the bone easily. Lift out the hock and keep it warm.
30 minStep 5: Stir the 2 tbsp fermented shrimp paste (mắm ruốc Huế) into the 1 cup cold water, leave for 10 minutes so the grit settles, then pour only the clear liquid into the broth and throw away the sediment. Common mistake: tipping in the whole mixture. The sediment makes the broth gritty and murky.
Step 6: Strain the broth and season with the 4 tbsp fish sauce, 1 oz rock sugar and 1 tsp salt. Simmer for 10 minutes more and taste: it should be savoury and gently funky, with lemongrass coming through. To make ahead, cool fast and refrigerate within 2 hours; it keeps for 3 days.
10 minStep 7: For the chilli oil, warm the 5 tbsp vegetable oil in a small pan over a medium-low heat. Add the 2 lemongrass stalks, 3 shallots and 3 cloves garlic and fry gently until fragrant and pale gold. Take off the heat, then stir in the 2 tbsp dried chilli flakes and 1 tsp sweet paprika; the residual heat cooks them without burning.
5 minStep 8: Stir 2 tbsp of the chilli oil into the broth for colour and keep the rest for the table.
Step 9: Cook the 1 ⅓ lb thick round rice noodles (bún bò Huế) in plenty of boiling water following the packet, usually 15–20 minutes for thick dried ones, until soft right through. Drain and rinse with hot water.
20 minStep 10: Slice the beef shank thinly. Divide the noodles among six warmed bowls and top with beef, hock pieces and 7 oz Vietnamese pork roll (chả lụa). Add the 1 white onion, 4 spring onions and ½ oz fresh coriander, then ladle over the broth at a rolling boil.
Step 11: Serve with 1 oz mint and Vietnamese coriander (rau răm), 7 oz bean sprouts, 3 ½ oz banana blossom, finely shredded, 2 limes and the remaining chilli oil, so everyone adds their own.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 690 kcal
- Protein
- 45 g
- Carbs
- 80 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bun bo Hue take?
- About 180 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 150 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of fish sauce?
- Soy sauce with a squeeze of lime (vegetarian).
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