Recipe: Vietnamese Beef and Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

1 pound very lean sirloin of beef, trimmed of visible fat
1/4 pound Chinese or Vietnamese rice noodles (banh pho)
3 cups homemade beef stock
3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (nam pla)
1 1/3 cups fresh bean sprouts
1 small onion, peeled and very thinly sliced
4 scallions, trimmed and very thinly sliced
2 Thai chile peppers, very thinly sliced crosswise
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves or Thai basil, coarsely chopped
Asian hot-chile sauce

Method:

Wrap beef in plastic wrap, and place in the freezer for about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with cold water; add rice noodles. Let soak until soft, about 30 minutes. Drain; set aside.

Combine beef stock, 1 1/2 cups water, and fish sauce in a large saucepan, and set over medium-high heat.

Remove beef from freezer. Using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, slice beef into very thin (1/8 inch) strips.

Divide noodles among six serving bowls, and arrange strips of meat over them. Raise heat under stock, and bring to a boil. Pour boiling stock over meat and noodles, pushing beef into hot liquid so that it cooks. Arrange bean sprouts and other accompaniments over beef and noodles; serve immediately with Asian chile sauce, if desired.