Spiced Beef Pho with Sesame Chile Oil

Ingredients :

1. 4 pounds oxtails or beef short ribs
2. 18 cups water
3. 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
4. 1 medium onion, halved
5. 1 (3 inch) piece unpeeled fresh ginger, halved lengthwise
6. 2 bay leaves
7. 2 (3 inch) cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
8. One 2-inch piece of rock sugar or 6 sugar cubes (see Note)
9. Kosher salt
10. 4 whole cloves
11. 4 star anise pods, broken into pieces
12. 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
13. 1/4 cup vegetable oil
14. 3 large garlic cloves, chopped
15. 2 tablespoons crushed red pepper
16. 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame seeds
17. 1/2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
18. Kosher salt
19. 1 pound rice vermicelli
20. 1 pound beef round, partially frozen and very thinly sliced across the grain
21. Asian fish sauce
22. Asian sesame oil
23. Sriracha chile sauce
24. Lime wedges
25. Cilantro sprigs
26. Basil leaves
27. Sliced onion
28. Sliced chiles
29. Escarole leaves
30. Mung bean sprouts

Directions :

1. MAKE THE BEEF BROTH: In a large soup pot, cover the oxtails or short ribs with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Drain off the water. Add the 18 cups of water and bring to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small nonstick skillet. Add the onion and ginger, cut sides down, and cook over moderately high heat until richly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and ginger to the pot along with the bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, rock sugar and 1 tablespoon of kosher salt.
3. Put the cloves, star anise and fennel seeds in a tea ball or tie them up in a piece of cheesecloth. Add them to the pot and simmer, skimming occasionally, until the oxtails are tender, about 2 hours. Strain the broth in a large sieve set over a heatproof bowl. Remove the meat from the oxtails. Refrigerate the broth and the oxtail meat separately overnight.
4. MAKE THE SESAME-CHILE OIL: Heat the oil in a small saucepan. Add the garlic and cook over moderate heat until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the crushed red pepper and sesame seeds and cook for 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the sesame oil and a pinch of salt.
5. ASSEMBLE THE SOUP: Put the rice vermicelli in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Let the vermicelli soak until pliable, about 20 minutes.
6. Skim the fat from the surface of the beef broth and discard. Bring the broth to a simmer over moderately high heat. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil.
7. Place the thinly sliced raw beef in a large strainer and lower it into the simmering broth for 4 seconds; transfer the meat to 6 soup bowls. Drain the vermicelli. Working in 6 batches, put the vermicelli in the strainer and lower it into the boiling water for 30 seconds, or until the vermicelli is barely tender. Drain and transfer to the bowls. Ladle about 1 1/2 cups of the broth over each bowl of vermicelli and add the chilled oxtail meat.
8. Put each of the remaining ingredients in separate bowls or arrange the vegetables and herbs together on a platter. Serve the soup with the condiments and the sesame-chilli oil.

Yield: 6 servings

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