Vietnamese Bun Bo Hue Spicy Lemongrass Beef Noodle Soup with Pork Hock, Shrimp Paste and Fresh Herbs

Parboil the meats: place beef shank and pork hock in a large pot, cover with cold water, bring to a rapid boil for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse the meats under cold water. This removes impurities and ensures a clear, clean broth.

Ingredients

• For the broth:
• 2 lbs beef shank or oxtail, bone-in
• 1 pork hock (about 1.5 lbs), halved by the butcher
• 3 stalks fresh lemongrass, bruised and cut into 3-inch pieces
• 1 large onion, halved and charred directly over a gas flame
• 4-inch knob fresh ginger, charred and peeled
• 2 tbsp shrimp paste (mam ruoc) — the defining flavour of Bun Bo Hue
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp annatto seeds (or 1 tbsp annatto oil) for the characteristic brick-red color
• 2-3 dried Thai chilies
• 10 cups water
• Salt to taste
• For the bowls:
• 14 oz round rice noodles (bun bo Hue noodles — thicker than vermicelli)
• Thinly sliced beef (from the cooked shank)
• Pork hock slices
• Chili oil, to taste
• For the table (garnish platter):
• Bean sprouts
• Sliced banana blossom (fresh or from a can, rinsed)
• Fresh mint, Thai basil, and saw-tooth herb (ngo gai)
• Lime wedges
• Thinly sliced white onion and scallion
• Sliced fresh chilies

Instructions

1. Parboil the meats: place beef shank and pork hock in a large pot, cover with cold water, bring to a rapid boil for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse the meats under cold water. This removes impurities and ensures a clear, clean broth.
2. Char the aromatics: hold the onion halves and ginger directly over a gas flame (or under a broiler) until deeply charred on the surface — 4-5 minutes. The char adds a smoky depth that is foundational to Vietnamese broths.
3. Build the broth: return the cleaned meats to the pot. Add 10 cups of fresh water, the charred onion, ginger, and lemongrass stalks. Bring to a boil, skim thoroughly, then reduce to a very gentle simmer. Cook 2 hours until the beef shank is tender but not falling apart.
4. Bloom the annatto: heat 1 tbsp neutral oil in a small pan. Add annatto seeds and cook over medium-low heat 2-3 minutes until the oil turns deep orange-red. Strain and discard the seeds, reserving the brilliant red oil.
5. Season the broth: remove the meats and set aside. Strain the broth. Return to the pot over medium heat. Dissolve the shrimp paste in a ladle of hot broth, then stir into the pot — this is the soul of Bun Bo Hue, pungent and complex. Add fish sauce, sugar, annatto oil, and dried chilies. Simmer 10 minutes. Taste: it should be savory, slightly sweet, deeply aromatic, and brick-red in color.
6. Prepare the meats: slice the beef shank thinly across the grain. Slice the pork hock — the skin and fat should be tender and gelatinous.
7. Cook the noodles: boil the round rice noodles per package instructions until just tender. Drain and portion into deep bowls.
8. Assemble: ladle the very hot broth over the noodles. Add sliced beef and pork hock. Top with sliced onion and scallion. Add chili oil to taste.
9. Set out the garnish platter. Each diner adds their own herbs, bean sprouts, banana blossom, lime, and fresh chili. Bun Bo Hue comes from the royal city of Hue in central Vietnam — spicier, more complex, and bolder than pho, it is one of Vietnam's greatest culinary achievements.