I found the most incredible little pho restaurant a couple miles from my home yesterday.

[kestrel91316]

Actually, there are TWO of them in one block that seems to be Vietnam Central, with Vietnamese shops and a big market and such.

Anyway, I want to make some at home, but maybe a quickie version, minus the tendon and tripe, lol. Canned beef broth, thinly sliced beef (what cut to use??), bean sprouts, rice noodles, thinly sliced jalapenos, and lots of fresh basil.

My big question is what cut of beef to use. I CANNOT eat fat/gristle without gagging, so it needs to be a lean cut.

Oh, and I had a mango boba drink, like a really sweet mango smoothie, and those silly boba balls in it. What do they make those out of??? I am guessing agar, lol.

[The empressof all]

1. I use Flank steak in my homemade pho

I always buy a larger than I need for a meal flank steak just for the left overs. The cold steak is great in salads but it's even more terrific in home made pho. I cook the broth with garlic, a speck of ginger, a splash of fish sauce and a little sambal. Then I throw in the cold flank steak at the last minute just to warm it. I use shiritaki noodles as I watch the carbs but I use lots of sprouts, lime and Thai Basil.

[troubleinwinter]

3. I am with you on flank steak.

Sliced very thin across grain.

[troubleinwinter]

2. The "bubbles" (balls) are tapioca!

Bet you could make your own with large pearl tapioca. Soak/cook a loooong time.

[kestrel91316]

5. They seemed awfully chewy for tapioca, is all. More like a slightly softer

version of the stuff gummy bears are made of.......

[troubleinwinter]

7. We tend to use broken tapioca in pies and small pearls in pudding.

We just soak for pudding, then barely bring to boiling. For 'bubbles', they are boiled for half hour, and steeeped in flavorings.

See here, http://chinesefood.about.com/od/bubbleteaandotherdrinks/r/bubbletea.htm give it a try with 30 minute boiling. Use LARGE pearls (sometimes hard to find here, but can be found in Asian markets). I spent time in China & saw that this is all that it is. Big ol' tapioca.

[Warpy]

4. I'd suggest flank steak, sliced thinly

across the grain.

Your pho will be less than optimum, though, as the Vietnamese are the world's biggest foodies and would decompensate completely at the very thought of using anything canned. It won't be pho, in other words, but it'll taste just fine.

Most of the pho houses here seem to base their broth on chicken, not beef, with lots of ginger.

I, too, live just a 15 minute walk from Little Vietnam here in NM. My favorite restaurant is outside the district, though, a combo restaurant and auto emissions inspection station. I patronize both halves of the business and am delighted to do so. The ambience is fluorescent and formica, but the food is out of this world. The inspection people are thorough and polite.

[kestrel91316]

6. Sounds like flank steak is the way to go. Any tips on slicing it PAPER thin?

I know about doing it half-frozen, but still I think the paper-thinness might escape me.....

[troubleinwinter]

8. Needn't be 'paper thin'

just thin. Yep, partially frozen and a good knife. 'Paper thin' is probably not so good. 1/8".

[Gormy Cuss]

9. Flank it is, and good luck.

My Vietnamese cookbook's quickie version of pho calls for toasted cloves and toasted star anise thrown into the broth for flavor.