Best Vietnamese Pho Tai Recipe (2024)

12 December 2022

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This recipe for Vietnamese Pho Tai has all of the delicious beefy flavors you love, including a broth that’s top-notch! The next time you’re craving a steaming hot bowl of Vietnamese Pho, head to your kitchen instead of a restaurant!

Once you taste this delicious pho made with tender oxtail, brisket, and slippery rice noodles, you’ll want to make it again and again!

What is Pho Tai?

Pho Tai is a Vietnamese soup that’s made with rare beef and rice noodles. It features a delicious broth, and is typically served with fresh cilantro, scallions, basil, and bean sprouts.

What Kind of Beef is in Pho Tai?

Pho tai is often made with London broil, round eye, or sirloin steak. Other popular options include oxtail and brisket.

Pho Tai Soup

The recipe below uses both oxtail and beef brisket. Oxtail bones have a good amount of meat, marrow, fat, and connective tissue which have great flavor when simmered low and slow. This produces a broth that’s full of beefy flavor.

Ingredients You’ll Need

pho noodles
oxtail
beef brisket
ginger
onion
cinnamon
star anise
cloves
cilantro roots
fish sauce
coconut sugar
thinly sliced beef tenderloin
bean sprouts, lime, and basil for serving

How to Make Pho Tai

Step 1: Make the Broth Using a Pressure Cooker

Bring a pressure cooker full of water to a rolling boil. Add the oxtail and brisket and return to a boil. Set the timer for 12 minutes after the water returns to a boil.
While the bones are boiling, put the onion and ginger on a sheet pan. Broil until the onion and ginger are nicely charred.
When the timer goes off, remove the oxtail and brisket from the pressure cooker and place them into a bowl of cold water.
Wash the bones thoroughly and then place the bones and meat back in.
Place the cinnamon, star anise, fennel seeds, and cloves into a pan and toast on the stove, stirring frequently to prevent burning until the spices are toasted and fragrant.
Add the toasted spices to the pot with the brisket and bones and then add the cilantro roots and water. Seal the lid and bring the cooker up to high pressure. When it’s at pressure, set the timer for 30 minutes.
When the timer goes off, use the quick release method to release the pressure. Remove the brisket and quickly wrap it in plastic wrap to prevent the meat from drying out. Let it come to room temperature and then store it in the fridge until it’s time to use it.
Seal the lid of the pressure cooker again and bring the pot back up to high pressure. Continue cooking the broth for 45 minutes and then let the pressure drop naturally.
When the pressure has dropped, open the lid and use tongs to remove the oxtail. Set it aside until it has cooled and remove the meat from the bones. Use a fine mesh sieve to strain the solids from the broth, and then skim away most of the fat.

Step 2: Make the Pho Tai

Soak the noodles in warm water for an hour to re-hydrate. When the noodles no longer have a tough core, drain them well. They can be stored in a resealable plastic bag in the fridge for up to one day.
Transfer the prepared stock to a large pot and add the fish sauce, adjusting to taste. Keep the broth warm over low heat.
Have all of your bowls, toppings, and condiments ready so the noodles don’t get soggy.
Slice the onion as thinly as possible and place in a bowl of water to soak. Slice the cooked brisket. Slice the tenderloin as thinly as possible.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the re-hydrated noodles in the boiling water for about 1 minute and then immediately drain using a strainer. The noodles will still be a bit chewy and will continue to soften in the broth.
Divide the noodles between the bowls and top with the sliced onions, cilantro, brisket and raw tenderloin. Bring the pho broth to a boil and divide it between the bowls. Serve and enjoy!

Tips and Tricks

Use tender beef brisket for the best results.
If you’re topping your pho with rare beef, be sure to slice it paper thin so it fully cooks from the heat of the hot broth. For very thin slices of beef, partially freeze the meat until it’s firm and use a sharp knife to thinly slice the meat against the grain.
Enjoy it with delicious Vietnamese desserts for an unforgettable experience.

Best Pho Tai Recipe

Print Pin

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours

Servings: 4

Author: Izzy

Ingredients

For the Broth

▢ 20 oz oxtail
▢ 10 oz brisket
▢ 1 tablespoon cut ginger
▢ 1/2 large onion
▢ ½ teaspoon cinnamon
▢ 1 star anise
▢ 4 cloves
▢ 2 cilantro roots

For Pho Tai

▢ 10 oz pho noodles
▢ 1/4 cup fish sauce
▢ 1 teaspoon coconut sugar
▢ 1/4 onion
▢ thinly sliced beef tenderloin

For Serving

▢ bean sprouts
▢ lime
▢ basil

Instructions

Bring a pressure cooker full of water to a rolling boil. Add the oxtail and brisket and return to a boil. Set the timer for 12 minutes after the water returns to a boil. Fill a large bowl with cold water and set it aside.
While the bones are boiling, put the onion and ginger on a sheet pan and place it cut side up directly under the heating element of your broiler. Broil until the onion and ginger are nicely charred. Watch carefully to ensure they don’t burn.
When the timer goes off, remove the oxtail and brisket from the pressure cooker and place into the bowl of cold water. Wash the bones thoroughly to remove any congealed blood, or other contaminants that can cause the soup to be cloudy. Wash the pot of the pressure cooker out well, and then place the bones and meat back in.
Place the cinnamon, star anise, fennel seeds, and cloves into a pan and toast on the stove, stirring frequently to prevent burning until the spices are toasted and fragrant.
Add the toasted spices to the pot with the brisket and bones and then add the cilantro roots and 8 cups of water. Seal the lid and bring the cooker up to high pressure. When it’s at pressure, set the timer for 30 minutes.
When the timer goes off, use the quick release method to release the pressure from the cooker and open the lid when the pressure has released. Remove the brisket and quickly wrap it in plastic wrap to prevent the meat from drying out. Let it come to room temperature and then store it in the fridge until it’s time to use it.
Seal the lid of the pressure cooker again and bring the pot back up to high pressure. Continue cooking the broth for 45 minutes and then let the pressure drop naturally.
When the pressure has dropped, open the lid and use tongs to remove the oxtail. Set it aside until it has cooled and remove the meat from the bones. Use a fine mesh sieve to strain the solids from the broth, and then skim away most of the fat.
You should have 5 cups of stock. If you have less, add enough water to make 5 cups. If you have more than 5 cups, boil the stock down a little more to concentrate it.
To prepare the pho, soak the noodles in warm water for an hour to re-hydrate. When the noodles no longer have a tough core, drain them well. They can be stored in a resealable plastic bag in the fridge for up to one day.
Transfer the prepared stock to a large pot and add the fish sauce, adjusting to taste. Keep the broth warm over low heat.
Have all of your bowls, toppings, and condiments ready so the noodles don’t get soggy.
Slice the onion as thinly as possible and place in a bowl of water to soak. Slice the cooked brisket. Slice the tenderloin as thinly as possible.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the re-hydrated noodles in the boiling water for about 1 minute and then immediately drain using a strainer. The noodles will still be a bit chewy and will continue to soften in the broth.
Divide the noodles between the bowls and top with the sliced onions, cilantro, brisket and raw tenderloin. Bring the pho broth to a boil and divide it between the bowls. Enjoy with additional toppings and condiments.