VIETNAMESE RICE NOODLE SOUP WITH BEEF

Serves 4
To make slicing the steak easier, freeze it for 15 minutes. Be ready to serve th
e soup immediately after cooking the beef in step 5; if the beef sits in the hot
broth for too long it will become tough. If you cannot find Thai basil, substit
ute regular basil.
BROTH
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 onions, minced (about 2 cups)
4 garlic cloves, minched
1 lemongrass stalk, bottom 5 inches only, trimmed and sliced thin
1/3 cup fish sauce
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
4 star anise pods
4 whole cloves
NOODLES, MEAT, AND GARNISH
8 ounces (1/4-inch-wide) dried flat rice noodles
2 cups bean sprouts
1 cup loosely packed fresh Thai basil
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro
2 scallions, sliced thin on the bias
1 fresh Thai, serrano, or jalepeno chile, stemmed, seeded, and sliced thin
1 lime, cut into wedges
12 ounces beef tenderloin (about 2 filets mignons), sliced in half lengthwise, t
hen sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick pieces.
1. FOR THE BROTH: Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until just s
himmering. Add the onions, garlice, lemongrass, and 1 tablespoon of the fish sau
ce and cook, stirring frequently, until just softened but not browned, 2 to 5 mi
nutes.
2. Stir in the remaining fish sauce, brother, water, soy sauce, sugar, star anis
e, and cloves and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer u
ntil the flavors have blended, about 10 minutes. Pour the broth through a fine-m
esh strainer, discarding the solids in the strainer. (At this point, the soup ca
n be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 day.)
3. FOR THE NOODLES, MEAT, AND GARNISH: Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a la
rge pot. Remove the boiling water from the heat, add rice noodles, and let stand
, stirring occasionally, unil the noodles are tender but still chewy, about 10 m
inutes.
4. Drain the noodles, divide them evenly among 4 individual serving bowls, and t
op each with 1/2 cup of bean sprouts; set aside. Arrange the basil, cilantro, sc
allion, chile, and lime wedges attractively on a large serving platter; set asid
e.
5. Return the strained soup to a clean saucepan, bring to a simmer over medium-h
igh heat, then reduce the heat to low. Add the beef and cook until no longer pin
k, about 1 minute (do not overcook.) Remove the soup from the heat. Ladle the so
up over the noodles and serve, passing the platter of garnishes separately.
VARIATION: VIETNAMESE RICE NOODLE SOUP WITH CHICKEN
Follow the recipe for Vietnamese Rice Noodle Soup with Beef, substituting 12 oun
ces boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 medium breasts) for the beef. Ad
d the chicken breasts to the broth in Step 2 with all of the remaining broth ing
redients and simmer as directed until the thickest part of the chicken breasts r
egisters 150 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove th
e breasts from the broth before straining and shred into bite-sized pieces using
two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the strained broth and reheat for 1 t
o 2 minutes over medium heat before serving as directed in step 5.