The Ultimate Guide to Cooking Delicious Bun Bo Hue, Even for the Culinary Challenged

Here's a mouth-watering introduction to a delicious Vietnamese dish, Bun Bo Hue; a tantalizing treat with a burst of flavors that will tantalize your taste buds and leave you craving more. This dish, with its aromatic broth, tender beef, and hearty rice vermicelli, is a culinary masterpiece that will transport you to the vibrant streets of Hue. Prepare to indulge in a culinary journey like no other as we unravel the secrets to creating this delectable dish in the comfort of your own home.

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Bun Bo Hue is a famous traditional Vietnamese dish, especially popular in the central region of the country. With its robust and delicious broth, soft and chewy rice noodles, and fragrant beef, Bun Bo Hue has captivated diners everywhere.

Below is an authentic and mouth-watering recipe for Bun Bo Hue that you can easily prepare at home.

Ingredients:

To cook this delectable dish, gather the following ingredients:

Beef leg bones: 1 kg

Beef shank: 500g

Pork hock: 500g

Crab cakes: 200g

Pig’s blood: 200g

Lemongrass: 10 stalks (bruised and cut into sections)

Hue chili powder: 2 tablespoons

Shallots: 3 shallots (finely chopped)

Garlic: 3 cloves (finely chopped)

Ginger: 1 small knob

Fish sauce: 3 tablespoons

Salt, sugar, MSG, and cooking oil

Fresh rice noodles: 1 kg

Herb accompaniments: shredded water spinach, banana blossom, and herbs

Limes and chilies (to serve)

Instructions:

Bun Bo Hue

1. Prepare the broth

To ensure a clear and tasty broth, the beef bones and pork hock require proper preparation. Begin by thoroughly washing the bones and hock, then blanching them in boiling water for 3-5 minutes to remove any impurities. Rinse again under cold running water.

Place the bones and hock in a pot, adding enough water to cover them. Toss in a bruised knob of ginger and 5 bruised lemongrass stalks to infuse their aroma. Bring this to a boil, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface to clarify the broth. After about an hour, remove the pork hock and set it aside.

Continue simmering the bones for 3-4 hours to develop a richer, sweeter broth.

2. Prepare the beef shank

Rinse the beef shank and boil it in a pot of water with lemongrass, shallots, and ginger. Once the beef is just cooked, remove it from the pot, let it cool, and slice it thinly. These beef slices will be added to the bowl of noodles, enhancing the dish’s savory character.

3. Prepare the broth’s seasoning

While the broth simmers, craft the signature seasoning for Bun Bo Hue. Heat some cooking oil in a pan, adding the chopped shallots, garlic, and Hue chili powder. Keep stirring to prevent the chili from burning. Once fragrant, scoop this mixture into the broth, lending it the distinctive hue and flavor of Bun Bo Hue.

Season the broth with fish sauce, salt, sugar, and MSG to taste. For a bolder flavor, stir in some filtered shrimp paste from Hue.

4. Prepare the pig’s blood, crab cakes, and noodles

Boil the pig’s blood and crab cakes until cooked. Cut the blood curd into bite-sized pieces. Quickly blanch the fresh rice noodles in boiling water to clean and maintain their texture.

5. Finalize the dish

When the broth is ready, it’s time to assemble the bowls. Start by placing a portion of noodles in each bowl, then arranging the beef shank, pork hock, blood curd, and crab cakes on top. Generously ladle over the hot, aromatic broth and sprinkle with chopped scallions and sawtooth coriander to heighten the flavor.

Bun Bo Hue is customarily served with fresh herbs like shredded water spinach, banana blossom, and bean sprouts, with limes and chilies on the side for an extra punch of flavor.

The hallmark of authentic Bun Bo Hue lies not only in the distinctive fragrance of lemongrass and shrimp paste but also in the harmonious interplay of fresh, high-quality ingredients. This dish is a sublime symphony of tender beef, unctuous pork, and a robust broth—a true delight for the senses.