Vietnamese Rice Noodle and Beef Soup (Bún bò Huế)

Instructions

Put the 4 tbsp of Huế shrimp paste in a large 2.5 L bowl. Stir in cold water a little at a time, mixing hard, until the bowl is nearly full but not spilling. Leave it for 1.5 hours so the sediment sinks to the bottom.

Fry the small chopped onion in 3 tbsp of oil until golden brown. Put it in a stockpot with the pig feet pieces and 2 L of water, and bring slowly to a boil over medium heat.

Add the lemongrass. Pour in the clear liquid from the settled shrimp paste, leaving the silt behind. Add another litre of water to the silt, stir, let it settle again, and pour the clear liquid into the pot as well.

Simmer the stock for 20 minutes. Add the beef and skim the surface now and then to keep the broth clear. Cook another 20 minutes, checking the beef so it does not overcook.

Season the broth with fish sauce and sugar to taste, aiming for a balance of salty and sweet. Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a pan, add the red pigment powder, and cook until it blends into the oil. Stir it into the broth, then repeat with the chilli powder.

Mix the chopped parsley and cilantro with the uncooked medium onion. Prepare the noodles: pour boiling water over fresh ones to heat them, or soak dried ones in boiling water until soft and dip them in cold water to stop the cooking. Do not overcook them or they turn to mush.

Put a handful of noodles in each large bowl and top with a handful of the herb and onion mixture. Ladle over plenty of hot broth, making sure each bowl gets several pieces of beef and pork.

Serve hot with lime wedges, sliced fresh chillies, bean sprouts, banana blossom and extra shrimp paste. A small dollop of shrimp paste in the soup is traditional, though it can be a strong taste for newcomers.