Updated 06-20-19. Here's Lovingpho's own beef pho recipe in infographic form. This beef pho recipe yields about 10 quarts, which is about 13 regular size bowls you can typically get at most pho restaurants. With this size, you can make it once, enjoy it, and have plenty of leftover to freeze for quick pho anytime later.
It's quite easy to scale up or down depending on your desired size. Just do straight linear scaling and you can't go wrong. Of course, you can adjust any element to customize to your own taste. Let me know what you think, and leave a comment below.
Hope this new beef pho recipe infographic helps you make great pho at home. It’s easily scalable to larger or smaller batches. For me, if I’m making pho at home, a larger batch allows me to freeze the pho broth for use at any time later.
Hi
Great web site. I can’t seem to find Pho recipe infographic by lovingpho. Is the image broken ?
Thank you
Madison
@Madison: Thanks for visiting. The infographic image appears fine on the page above for me and other browsers I’ve tested. Maybe you want to refresh your browser?
Thanks for this awesome recipe.
Thank you! Great infographic! I usually eat out for pho but it would be nice to perfect my home recipe for family gatherings.
@You Chang: Glad it helps you. Give it a try. It’s not as hard as a recipe may sound. If you have proficiency in the kitchen, have a good recipe with good description and explanation, and can follow the directions well, then you should be able to make a great pot of pho broth.
I have never put fish sauce in my pho! It would kill the real smell and taste of whatever pho you’re making ie beef, chicken or veg. You don’t use pork bones, but beef bones in the pho pot so why would you put fish sauce?
@Dee Dee: Thanks for your comment. Regardless of which pho recipe you follow, many non-Viet people misunderstand what role fish sauce actually plays in Vietnamese cooking. Don’t let the name fool you. In Viet cooking, fish sauce is a versatile cooking ingredient. For the vast majority of dishes, it’s used as regular seasoning during the cooking process as well as a dipping sauce (both mixed and unmixed) at the table. It’s also used in many marinade recipes for all kinds of proteins, especially those to be grilled on open fire.
In the early days of Vietnamese food being introducing to North America, Australia and Europe (mid 1970’s to even late 1980’s), Westerners wondered about unique taste and bold flavors in Viet foods that they never experienced in Japanese and Chinese foods, which are more soy sauce based. It was fish sauce in many Viet dishes, and it was not just in pho.
Try it the next time you make your pho or any other Viet dishes, and you may have a pleasant surprise. And like any ingredient, know how much to use and don’t overdo it. When done correctly, it should not “kill” or overwhelm any other taste in a dish, and no one should be able to detect any fishy taste at all.
Great finding this site and recipe. I host a pho party every year during winter for around 50-60 friends. I try different recipes each year trying to improve, but last years was by far the most “bland”. This year I’ll try this one, and also add in oxtail which I haven’t yet done.
Great site!
@Dean: Hey glad to hear you’re making pho for 60 people Dean. I’m not sure what recipes you’ve used in the past, but they’re probably recipes for home cooking (e.g., serves 6 or 8 people, etc.). This means you have to correctly scale up to the large quantity to serve more people. Some ingredients CAN be scaled up linearly, while others may not be. Plus, you have to not only correctly scale ingredients and adjust the heating profile, you also have to scale the timing as well. If you don’t scale properly for the yield you’re targeting (60 people/servings), AND make adjustments as needed to taste, then there’s no guarantee your result will be good. My 2 cents.
As a note: I created this infographic recipe (yielding 10 quarts) from my own base recipe for 4 people. Even with experience as a pho restaurant consultant, I still have to make multiple tests to adjust the scaled recipe before considering it acceptable to serve in mass quantity. If an inexperienced restaurant owner takes this recipe for use in his new restaurant, then he has to scale it up even more, and do it correctly.
Thanks for the insight, Cuong. You’re suspicion about my past recipes are right on the money…they were for 6-8 servings, which made scaling difficult for the ‘bulky’ parts like the beef bones, so I think that’s what made it less flavorful. I also cut back on the fish sauce that last try because the scaling made it seem like I would need to put too much in.
This year I have (3) 20qt pots, so what do you think about scaling the infographic recipe by 1.5x for each pot (15qt each pot = 30 servings per pot, x 3 pots = approx 90 servings)? Do you think 20qt pots are big enough to render 15qt of broth per pot with 15lbs of beef bones/protein? I’m going to try to get some oxtail this year also (I haven’t used it in the past). I’ll have to try to make sure the ingredients are equal per pot so as not to have very different flavor profiles among the pots, or intermix the pots at the last stage of the broth cooking (when removing all the solids).
Also, what is your suggestion/experience on adding the MSG? Does it noticeably enhance the flavors?
Thanks again!
Hey Dean: If you intentionally reduced the amount of fish sauce (at whatever scaling) and the result is “less flavorful” broth, then the answer is possibly right there in your own words. This may have been “operator’s” error and not necessarily a problem of the recipe or the scaling. If this was the case, then it would have been an easy fix by adding more fish sauce to taste at the last step of cooking, or even at the table. Ever see a bottle of fish sauce or hoisin sauce in pho restaurant? In any case, most good recipes include “season to taste” or something similar as the final step. Except for the experts or professionals, a good cook or chef always tastes and seasons before serving anything.
Now if you’re just looking to have fun by trying out different recipes every time you make pho, then that’s fine; nothing wrong with that. But you won’t have the benefit of learning from your past mistakes. You will make the same and new mistakes with each new recipes.
If you want to make good pho, or make any dish consistently good for that matter, then a better approach is to start with a good recipe, then practice and perfect your techniques and understanding over time to improve your results. There is no “better” recipe if you first don’t master your cooking techniques that a recipe demands, or fix previous mistakes.
I don’t have a suggestion on how you should divide up the ingredients for your pots unless I know a little more about your capabilities and cooking skills, whether you follow the correct timing and techniques of the recipe, etc. Many people give blind suggestions without really understanding whether the person can actually carry them out correctly. What I can say, though, is you should pay attention and understand the yield called for in a pho recipe. It is not necessarily what you must have at the beginning or even during cooking. It is what you should aim for at the end. Understanding this will help guide how you should cook regardless of your tools and constraints.
Lastly, MSG is used in many Viet dishes (including pho) and is used throughout the world to enhance flavors of many dishes. It’s more of a personal preference than a recommendation, so you should try it (in proper amount), and see if you like it, then adjust.
I couldn’t find it in the infographic, but approximately how much eye round or sirloin is recommended for 20 servings? My calculations from previous recipes scaled calculates to about 3lbs for 20 servings?
@Dean: If you’re referring to the rare beef as topping over banh pho before pouring in the broth, then it’s really up to you. Depending on what other proteins you plan to include in the bowl and the size of the bowl itself, some people like 4 oz of sliced rare beef, while others want 8 oz., or more or less. It depends on how much meat you and your friends like to eat. Restaurants have portion sizes because they have to make profits, but not in your case. You should slice them thin like you’re serving, then weigh (or just eyeball) the amount you think you want, and that’s your answer.
Tôi có hai vẫn đề cần anh giúp :
1- Sau khi các gia vị phở hầm một thời gian tiết ra màu nâu làm nước phở nhìn không đẹp mắt dù vẫn trong . Anh có thể chỉ dẫn cách khắc phục để nước phở không bị đậm màu không ?
2- Ngày xưa khi tới trước tiệm phở là đã ngửi được mùi phở thơm phức , vậy làm sao nấu phở có mùi thơm toả hương ngào ngạt như vậy ?
Rất cám ơn nếu được anh chỉ dẫn .
@Thanh:
1. You didn’t say how long is “a long time”, but generally you don’t need to keep the spices simmering for too long. It really depends on 2 things: a) the size of the pot and b) how you prepared your spices.
Additionally, if this is home cooking in a small pot, then I think 45 minutes may be sufficient. If it is for restaurants with bigger broth volume being produced, then it may require longer time. You can read more about how to cook spices in pho broth in these 2 articles:
How Long To Cook Pho Spices In Pho Broth
How Best To Add Spices When Making Pho Broth?
Brown but clear broth may be a sign of overly long cooking of the spices.
2. Where a pho restaurant is located may determine the answer to your question. For modern restaurants in North America and elsewhere around the world where there are strict food safety regulations, a properly working ventilation system is required to be installed. The purpose of the ventilation system is to ventilate grease, smoke, odor, and other particulate matters produced from cooking to be taken outside, upward, and be safely eliminated. The key purpose is also to prevent customers/people from inhaling such matters, but unfortunately, pho fragrance is a part of it.
Add to this the fact that many modern restaurants utilize an air conditioning system, producing and circulating cool air for summer, warm air for winter. The doors are pretty much always closed whether it’s cold or hot outside. While this also helps keep outside traffic noise and exhaust from entering the restaurants, it obviously would stop any pho scent from getting out.
Most pho shops in Vietnam do not have to deal with or worry about the above issues. I’m not totally familiar with doing business in Vietnam, but there may be no such ventilation regulations (and/or enforcement) in existence. Adding the fact that many pho shops in Vietnam place their cooking right upfront, oftentimes outside and visible to the public. The resulting pho fragrance in the streets is unmistakable and unavoidable.
It is a great marketing device, but unfortunately such practice is not allowed in more modern/developed cities, except at food fairs, festivals, or outdoor eating establishments.
Hope this helps.
Thank you for answer . I will read and try , hope I will get more fragrant of Phở . I like when open the door people smelt the fragrant of Phở right away . I love that smelt a lot , can you help me how to get more smelt of Phở ? I cook at home only good flavor but not much smelt .
I am lucky to found your web to learn more about Phở . Thanks again for all information.
@Thanh: I hope my answers were helpful to you. Sorry for not replying in Vietnamese. I normally include a Viet language version in the answer but this last one was quite long so I didn’t do it this time.
Regarding your question about the lack of pho fragrance when you cook at home. I’m not sure what else to suggest to you to “increase” the pho smell/fragrance. When you cook anything in a kitchen, whether at home or in restaurant, you WILL get the food odor (good or bad) spread throughout the whole area. You cannot escape the food smell regardless of what you’re cooking. For food such as pho which requires simmering for many hours, the steam coming off of your pot will 100% give out pho smell.
The only 3 probable causes for you not to have food odor when you make pho is 1) your food doesn’t have much substance to produce the smell, or 2) you have good ventilation to attract odor out of your cooking area before anyone can smell it, or 3) you’re already getting used to the smell the whole time while cooking, therefore you seemingly don’t detect any more smell. It’s possible your situation is the last one, number 3). For you to notice pho smell right away when open the door, you must not be cooking pho yourself the whole time before opening the door, right?
In any case, if your pho has good flavor, then I’m pretty sure the pho smell should definitely be there.
Thanks you for answer ,
Yes I did cook by myself whole time until my friend come over but they don’t known I cook Phở until they come to kitchen . All my friend want to eat Pho when they come to my house . With me I still not complete satisfied with smelt . Do you think the herb need to increase ?
The Fat on top of the soup not take out ?
@Thanh: I’ve helped people make pho at home and in restaurants, and never ever run into a situation when people complain about not having enough pho smell. Whatever smell you produce from cooking pho has to come from the ingredients themselves. There is no way that I know of to “add” or “increase” more pho smell, without changing your taste profile which you already like.
If you want to share your detailed recipe (including each ingredients and quantities used, and cook time) then I may be able to make a suggestion based on your own situation.
Hi anh Cuong,
If I were to use this recipe for my pho restaurant in the future do I scale up all of the ingredients, if so what is your suggestion on the amount of broth/ingredients I should have daily.
@Quy: You should be able to scale this recipe up to any size for restaurant use. There are a few things to keep in mind especially if you want to go large scale:
1. You should try it at least once at current size to convince yourself this is what you want, and make any adjustment as needed before scaling. I generally recommend several trials to eliminate personal/operator errors and ensure you get same/similar result every time before scaling, because at small size it’s easier (and less costly in time and money) to find and correct errors.
2. Once scaled up, you’ll also need additional testing and make adjustments again. You’ll need to do this to ensure all variables are understood and accounted for, and proper adjustments made to meet business goals (quality, food cost, labor cost, etc.) Many people skip all these steps (based on very poor reasonings) and as a result they hurt themselves when it comes to quality, food cost, labor cost, and making a profit.
My suggestion on the daily production amount is to do market analysis and understand how much you need/want to sell on a typical day. I can’t tell you how much gas to put in your tank without knowing where you’re driving to, how far it is, and what kind of car you drive. With that said, I do help people figure out where they want to go, why they should have such target, and how to get there with minimal cost and risks.
The point is: each restaurant is different, and you as an owner should know as much as you can about your business and what you want to achieve before committing to one way of doing things. For much more detailed coaching, you can book a consultation appointment or post on the Pho Forums when I have it go live shortly.
Hope the above helps.
I’m happy to have found this recipe and I definitely plan on trying it! I have a question though – rock sugar – is this a must ingredient or can I substitute white sugar for the rock sugar and if yes, how much white sugar? I live in an area of the US that is not very diverse culinary-wise, so I know I won’t be able to find rock sugar near me. Thank you!
Hey Sharon Mossy: Thanks for the question.
You should be able to use white or brown sugar with no problem. Considering the recipe yields 10 QRTS (2.5 GALS) of liquid, a small 1 inch piece of rock sugar will not have that much of an impact on the result. It’s supposed to be subtle.
You can substitute 1 to 1 ratio, or to personal taste, meaning a one inch piece of rock sugar, if crushed into granulated/grain form like granulated sugar, should be about 1.5 table spoon (TBSP) by my own rough estimate. To be safe, you can use 1/2 TBSP sugar when called for, then add more later to taste if needed. You can even add it at the end to the hot broth too, it’s just sugar and will just dilute in no time.
Bottom line: you’ll probably can’t tell the difference with or without any sugar. Like in any good cooking processes, sometime it’s the subtle taste that makes the difference. In this case, keep things flexible, experiment, and find what you like. If you find you need things a bit sweeter, then add a bit more. Otherwise, if you can’t taste any difference at such small quantity, then maybe skip if all together like many actually do.
Best of luck.
@Sharon Mossy
Late reply here. Imo it’s not critical to have exactly rock sugar. I think this ingredient gives pho its small sweet taste but because rock sugar is subtle, it’s hard to overdo it. So if you must, regular granulated sugar can be used but I suggest start with very small amount first.
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I read elsewhere on this site that you recommend grinding up the spices to get more out of them. Can I use my coffee grinder to do this, and when used in the cooking, should I adjust the cooking time of the spices (and maybe when to best add them in)? Thank you.
@bovitop34 You definitely can use the coffee grinder. I use it often and the fragrance coming off is amazing! I use the coarse setting as I think that should be enough.
@bovitop34
I use a kitchen mallet to crush the spices to various different sizes, then roast them until a bit burnt, then put them all in a muslin bag for cooking. Always turns out delicious.
I love Pho!!! So last year I began trying to cooking it myself at home. I watched YouTube videos and read recipes. After tweeking various ingredients and changing meats, bones, etc., I arrived at a good broth after one year of experimenting. Your graphic is close to my final recipe. Though Oxtail and sliced ribeye are the core of my broth, I agree with adding fish sauce to my bowl when building the final meal. Thanks much for this website.
@Dan: Thanks for stopping by and sharing your pho making adventure. Looks like you know what you’er doing and having success. Congrats! Oh yeah, fish sauce! Can’t do without it.
OMG thank you for this!!! I’m definitely going to try to make this next weekend….one question though….how do you prepare tripe? ive been looking all over online and some people say boil it for a few seconds, other say for the last hour before the pho is done, some say boil it WITH the soup, others say a separate pot for a few minutes??? Is it already cooked when you buy it? Whats the vietnamese name for it or whats it called in the stores? Ive only cooked the honey comb like tripe before and that one usually takes hours to soften up. The tripe ive had with my pho has been in restaurants so I would love to re-create it. Thanks again for this super informative site
@Carla: Apologize for chelate reply. The Vietnamese term for “tripe” in pho is “sách”. Most tripe bought from Asian markets should have been through the bleaching and boiling process. So they have been cooked. However cooking (or recooking) before serving is always advised. You can check this forum post for Prep and cook suggestion for tripe. Repeated below are the main steps:
Cooking
– Boil up water in a pot (pot size depends on how much you’re cooking).
– Boil the tripe (cut to better fit the pot if preferred).
– Five to 10 minute boil should be good.
– Strain, rinse and let cool to whatever temperature comfortable for slicing or storing in cooler for later use.
Slicing
– Slice the tripe into thin strips, as thin or even thinner than the pho noodle is good.
– Some people like thicker pieces, so it’s really your preference.
Enjoy!