Bún Bò Huế (Spicy Vietnamese Beef & Pork Noodle Soup)

Steps

1. Parboil beef shank, oxtail, and pork hocks in boiling water for a few minutes to remove impurities, then rinse.
2. Place the parboiled meats in a large pot, cover with water, and add chicken broth.
3. Add smashed lemongrass stalks and halved onions to the pot.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 hours until meats are tender, skimming off foam periodically.
5. Remove cooked onions and lemongrass from the broth once fully infused.
6. Season the broth with salt, sugar, shrimp paste, fish sauce, and MSG to taste.
7. In a small pan, heat 3 tbsp oil with annatto seeds until the oil turns deep red, then strain out the seeds.
8. Sauté sliced shallot and minced garlic in the annatto oil until fragrant, then stir this mixture into the broth for color and flavor.
9. Slice cooked beef shank and pork hocks, and slice the Huế-style pork sausage; set aside for assembly.
10. Simmer pork blood cubes gently in a separate pot of water until fully set and cooked through, then slice.
11. Soak sliced banana flower in a bowl of water mixed with lemon juice to prevent browning; drain before serving.
12. Cook dried rice noodles according to package instructions until tender, then drain.
13. To make the saté condiment, heat 1/2 cup oil in a pan and sauté minced shallot, garlic, and lemongrass until fragrant.
14. Add crushed dried Thai chile and Korean chile powder to the pan and cook briefly to release color and aroma.
15. Season the saté with fish sauce, sugar, salt, and MSG, then simmer until thickened; cool and reserve.
16. To assemble, place noodles in a bowl, top with sliced beef, pork hocks, sausage, and pork blood.
17. Ladle hot broth over the bowl and top with a spoonful of saté condiment.
18. Serve with mint, basil, bean sprouts, sliced banana flower, chiles, and lime on the side.