Thin sliced venison and homemade rice noodles are well served in a pho - the hot broth cooks both the meat and noodles perfectly, while also offering just the right amount of flavor, without overpowering either.
Serves 4-6
- Ingredients -
Stock
1 lb assorted venison bones (neck, shank, etc.) - you can also buy beef bones at the local butcher instead
1 large white onion, sliced in half
2 large coins fresh ginger root
1 tablespoon brown sugar
5 star anise
5 whole cloves
3 cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon coriander seed
Noodles
8 oz rice flour
6 oz tapioca starch
1 cup boiling water
Meat
1 lb venison (roast or round is best) - you can also use beef, elk or other meats
Garnish suggestions
(you do not need all of these - choose what makes sense for you and your guests)
Thai basil
limes, sliced
cilantro
culantro
jalapenos, sliced (we used our
Tequila-marinated jalapenos)
Thai chiles
scallions, sliced
bean sprouts
mushrooms, sliced
chile sauce/Sriracha sauce
hoisin sauce
- Tools -
Pasta Machine
Meat Slicer
Cone Strainer
Stock
Preheat your oven to 450°F.
Blanch the bones (rinse them in cold water, cover them in cold water in a stock pot, bring the water to a boil, and then rinse the bones again).
While the bones blanch, roast your onion & ginger in the oven, 10 minutes, or until soft and caramelized.
Place the blanched bones into the stockpot again, with 1 gallon of water, and the remaining stock ingredients (including the onion & ginger). Bring to a boil, then reduce to a soft boil. Allow the stock to cook 24-48 hours, ensuring that it does not come to a hard boil.
Fresh Rice Noodles
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil.
Sift together the rice flour and tapioca starch. Pour in 1 cup of boiling water. Use a wooden spoon, chopsticks, or spatula to mix until the dough is uniform. Add more boiling water, a cup at a time, if needed. The dough should be soft and elastic, and only a little sticky. It should not stick to your hands. Knead the dough until it's uniform.
Cover the dough in plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes.
Roll the dough in tapioca starch, then use a
Pasta Machine to roll the dough to the thinnest setting, sprinkling the pasta sheets with tapioca starch each time before you pass it through the machine.
Cut the noodles through the pasta cutter of your choice - we chose the fettucine cutter to make thick, flat noodles. Separate the noodles.
Thin Sliced Venison
Use a
Meat Slicer to slice the venison roast thinly. It's often easiest to slice meat thinly when it's still partially frozen, so thaw your frozen venison in the fridge until it is just a little frozen still. For a 3 lb roast, 24 hours was the perfect amount of time to thaw in our particular fridge.
Serve
Strain the hot stock with a
Cone Strainer, separating the spices & bones from the broth.
Place the fresh, uncooked noodles into the bottoms of warmed bowls, then layer the raw sliced venison over that. Ladle the hot broth over the venison - do not touch the ladle to the meat.
Serve with your chosen garnishes.
