Pho xao bo comes out as a plate of loose noodles, tender beef and bok choy that is still green. The flavor is deep without being heavy. The two things to protect are the noodles, which break easily, and the beef, which toughens fast.
The noodles go into the pan on their own with fried garlic and fish sauce until they loosen, then come straight back out. The beef gets exactly 1 minute in the pan for a rare finish, and everything returns for a final minute together at the end.
This batch weighs about 2.6kg, at roughly 126 calories per 100g.
Method
Soak the dried shiitake for 30 to 45 minutes until plump, trim the stems and cut into pieces about a finger joint thick. Peel and thinly slice the carrot, cut the onion and tomato into wedges, soak the bok choy in lightly salted water for 15 minutes, then cut into lengths.
Slice the beef thinly and marinate it with 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce, 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt, 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper, 1/2 teaspoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon minced garlic. Leave for 30 minutes.
Mix the sauce: 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 2 tablespoons seasoning powder, 3 tablespoons oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 4 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon white vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil. Stir until dissolved.
Heat 2.5 tablespoons cooking oil in a pan and fry 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic. Add all the noodles and toss for 1 to 2 minutes until loose, add 4 tablespoons fish sauce, toss for another minute, then tip onto a plate.
In the same pan add 2 tablespoons cooking oil and stir fry the beef over medium heat for about 1 minute until just rare, then lift it out.
Add 1 tablespoon cooking oil and stir fry the carrot and shiitake for 2 minutes, then add the onion, tomato and the sauce and stir fry for 2 minutes.
Add the bok choy and cook until just tender, return the beef and noodles, toss for 1 minute and turn off the heat.
Tips
Beef held too long in the pan turns tough and dry.
Water at 60 to 80 degrees C cuts the dried shiitake soaking time down to 10 minutes.
Cornstarch in the marinade keeps the beef tender, but the pan has to follow straight away or the meat weeps.
Large chopsticks and a gentle lifting motion keep the noodles whole, as vigorous tossing snaps them.
A large pan, or two batches, keeps the vegetables from releasing water and turning the dish soggy.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.