Bun Bo Hue: Maybe Better than Pho?
A spicy and aromatic Vietnamese noodle soup loaded with brisket, oxtail, lemongrass, and finished with a punchy satế chili oil. Pressure cooker makes everything ultra tender and full of flavor fast.
Equipment
- 1 Pressure cooker Instant Pot or similar
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 1 lb brisket
- 1 lb oxtail
- 3 stalks lemongrass bruised
- 2 shallots halved
- 3 stalks lemongrass minced
- 1 shallot roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic
- 4 Thai chilies
- ½ cup neutral oil such as grapeseed or canola
- ¼ cup Chinese chili flakes or substitute 2-4 Thai chilies
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon shrimp paste mắm ruốc optional
- 8 beef meatballs halved (bò viên)
- 8 slices Vietnamese ham sliced (chả chiên)
- 14 oz thick vermicelli noodles Bun Bo Hue style
- ¼ red onion thinly sliced
- 1 cup banana blossoms cleaned, trimmed, and sliced
- 4 stems sawtooth coriander ngò gai
- 4 sprigs cilantro
- 4 sprigs Thai basil
- 4 wedges lime
Instructions
Instructions
- Add brisket, oxtail, bruised lemongrass stalks, and halved shallots to your pressure cooker pot. Cover with enough water to just cover meat and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, skim off any foam or impurities on top to keep broth clear. Then seal the cooker and bring to high pressure.
- Cook under high pressure for about 45 minutes. This gives that tender pull you want but still keeps some texture.
- Quick release the pressure using your cooker’s instructions carefully. Remove brisket and oxtail; set aside. Keep broth on low heat.
- In a small pan, heat neutral oil over medium heat. Add minced lemongrass, chopped shallot, garlic, and Thai chilies. Sauté until everything smells fragrant and golden.
- Stir in Chinese chili flakes and cook a couple minutes more. Pour this chili oil mixture into your broth and stir well to combine that spicy kick.
- Add fish sauce, sugar, and optional shrimp paste mắm ruốc to the broth. Simmer gently for 10-15 minutes to marry flavors deep.
- Meanwhile, cook vermicelli noodles per package instructions. Slice meat thin and arrange beef meatballs and Vietnamese ham too. Serve noodles in bowls, add meat then ladle hot broth on top. Finish with herbs, banana blossoms, red onion, and lime wedges on the side.
Notes
If your pressure cooker doesn’t have quick release, naturally release but reduce cook time slightly. Adjust spice level by reducing Thai chilies or chili flakes as needed.