wanderingspoon

Just a quick note about pork bones: I know of some cooks who will throw a few in for a hint of sweet meatiness. More often, though, you'll see oxtails added.

We made pho all the time while I was growing up. Later, when I was trained in French stocks, it was interesting to me to see the overlap in techniques as well as the many differences. I went through a long phase when I made the chicken version mostly, back in my poor student days, but can now luxuriating in the beef version. It does take a lot of time and effort, but it's totally worth it for me, as so many restaurants make such shoddy versions. Honestly, the smell in your home as the broth simmers is simply, deeply luscious. Andrea Nguyen has an excellent recipe at her site: http://www.vietworld...oodle-soup.html A few tips from my own experience: -- Don't use bones that have been frozen (marrow darkens). -- Instead of blanching the bones, I rub them well with lots of salt and then rinse them in hot water. Much less hassle and waste. -- Never, never allow the water to come to full boil. I bring it only to a simmer, and then keep it at a bare shiver for 8 to 10 hours. At the first simmer, I also stir in some cold water and make sure to mix up the bones, too; this helps bring out more proteins for skimming. -- Skim well at the beginning especially; after an hour or two, you can skim less frequently. -- Make sure bones are always covered by water. Dry bones above water will turn dark. -- Add some dried scallops for umami. -- My aunt likes to throw in a daikon for sweetness. -- Along with whole cloves, Ceylon cinnamon and star anise, I use long peppercorn, black cardamom and fennel seeds. -- Not worth making a small amount. Use as big a pot as possible and freeze any extra broth (assuming friends don't eat it all). My stocks come out pale and clear, and I actually don't bother straining. We just fish out the bigger bones and then serve right from the same pot it simmered in. I know, heresy. But, really, keeping the fuss factor down while making sure there's maximum flavor is the key to making homemade pho bo as fun and comforting as it is delicious. Thy

Another hearty vote for the Messermeister. Mine's been in nearly daily use for over 10 years and still going strong. Very comfortable in the hand (a small right hand) and handles cutting through even the thicker bones in chickens and ducks if needed. It might take a few times to figure out the "put-back-together" of the take-apart halves, but it's now completely naturally -- very very easy and quick to clean well. I've never used the Wustoff -- looks very sleek -- so can't really compare. But I definitely don't think it's necessary to spend that much money.