Thai Noodle Soup - Guay Tiew
Call me crazy, but I can't be the only one. Even on the hottest days, do you ever crave soup? If you're with me, keep reading. If not, save this recipe for the winter time :) I'm missing Thailand more than ever and I plan on going back next year. My goal is to practice cooking more authentic Thai and Lao food. I've made pho plenty of times but I reallllly wanted to make good pho, particularly the Thai version of pho called guay tiew, there's a million ways to spell it. I featured this dish on a previous blog post here. I watched a ton of YouTube videos and studied all the ingredients needed, my favorite recipe was by www.hot-thai-kitchen.com, check her out, I followed these directions and added a little twist! This takes time, you really have to let the meat bones do its work. It's also all about the aromatics and the toppings. Read below for the recipe:
Ingredients:
Broth:
3 L water (put the bones in the pot first then fill it up with water until fully covered with a little extra space)
1 pkg oxtail and 1 pkg beef bone
top half of 1 stalk of lemongrass
1 medium onion, rough chopped
2 shallots chopped
2-3 cilantro roots, crushed or 6-8 stems
8 cloves garlic, crushed
10 pc galangal
1 pandan leaf
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
1 tsp toasted coriander seeds (if you’re lucky you can find a pho seasoning packaged that has all these items and you just pick out what you need)
¼ tsp white pepper, ground
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp Golden Mountain Sauce
3 Tbsp sweet dark soy
2 Tbsp Tao jiew or fermented soy bean paste, mashed (can substitute 1.5 Tbsp miso paste) I used spicy kind and it was delicious!
2 Tbsp white vinegar
2 tbsp of granulated sugar
1-2 tsp of fish sauce
Assembling your bowl/toppings:
Broth
7 oz. (200 g) fresh rice noodles
12 beef balls (optional)
2 cups Spinach, swamp cabbage/ong choy, or other vegetable of your choice
2 cups bean sprouts
Fried red onion
crushed peanuts (optional)
½ cup cilantro and green onions, chopped
Thai basil or holy basil (optional)
Crispy pork rind (optional)
Chili flakes (to taste, optional
Directions:
For the Broth: Add oxtail and beef bones and water to a large stock pot, making sure the bones are completely submerged. Bring to a simmer and let simmer for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, skim off the scum that has floated to the top. Add all remaining broth ingredients except salt, and simmer for 2 more hours, I like my oxtail very tender so I want to simmer it for as long as I can. While the broth is simmering, prepare your veggie toppings. When the broth is done, taste and adjust seasoning with salt as needed. If it’s too salty, add more water to dilute. Remember to season the broth strongly as it will be diluted by the noodles and the vegetables.
Noodles: Because I use fresh noodles, the process goes by faster. You take your package and take whatever bundle of noodles you’d like and place it in your bowl, since the broth is hot, when you pour it over your noodles it will cook instantly. Add your toppings and enjoy this delicious meal!
