Slow Cooker Beef Pho
The following recipe and photography were provided by local blogger Carolyn Hodges of The Dinner Shift.
When it comes to traditional pho (pronounced “fuh”), it’s all about the broth. A rich and meaty broth base is key to this Vietnamese comfort food. Most recipes call for preparing your own beef bone broth, which often requires roasting and simmering cuts of beef or beef bones for hours. To make life easier, this recipe leans on a handy dinner hack – Heinen’s organic beef bone broth!
Use your slow cooker to infuse the beef bone broth with a variety of essential spices for classic pho, including cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise and coriander. Then, add very thinly sliced sirloin or flank steak to the slow cooker 10 minutes prior to serving and plate it over steaming hot over noodles. Freezing the steak for about 30 minutes is key to cutting it into very thin strips.
Slow Cooker Beef Pho
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 32 oz. containers Heinen’s organic beef bone broth
- 2 Heinen's cinnamon sticks
- 4 cloves
- 3-4 star anise
- 1 Tbsp. whole coriander seeds
- 1 tsp. whole peppercorns
- 1 Tbsp. neutral cooking oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
- 1 ginger root, about 4 inches long, cut in half lengthwise (do not peel)
- 1-2 Tbsp. fish sauce
- Sea salt
- 8 oz. rice noodles or linguine
- ¾ lb. Heinen’s organic beef flank steak
- Cilantro, lime wedges, thinly sliced hot or sweet peppers, sriracha and/or hoisin sauce, for serving
Instructions
- Pour the bone broth into the crock of a slow cooker.
- Toast the cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, coriander seeds and peppercorns in a dry nonstick skillet over medium-low heat for about 2 minutes, or until they become fragrant and the peppercorns begin to pop. Be careful not to burn them. Transfer the toasted spices to the slow cooker.
- Set the pan over medium heat and add the oil. Once hot, add the onion and ginger root. Sear on all sides until light golden brown, about 5 minutes total. Add to the slow cooker.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 7-8 hours.
- Approximately 45 minutes before you plan to serve, place the steak on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, transfer the meat to a cutting board and use a sharp knife to slice it across the grain into very thin ⅛- to ¼-inch thick slices. Set aside.
- Prepare the noodles according to the package directions. After cooking, be sure to rinse them under cold running water to remove excess starch. This will keep them from sticking together and becoming “gluey.”
- After the slow cooker time is complete, strain the broth using a fine mesh strainer set over a large bowl.
- Discard the spices, onion and ginger.
- Transfer the broth back to the slow cooker and turn the heat to high. Add the fish sauce and season to taste with sea salt. Stir in the beef, cover and cook for 5-15 minutes, or until the beef is cooked to your liking.
- Divide the noodles between 4 wide shallow bowls. Top each with the broth and beef. Serve topped with fresh cilantro, lime juice, peppers, sriracha and/or hoisin sauce.
