Discover the art of preparing rich and flavorful pork bone noodle soup – an authentic recipe by Mytour.

Banh canh, a distinctive dish from Central Vietnam, offers a variety of options like meat, shrimp, or fish. A delightful bowl of banh canh, bursting with irresistible aroma, is sure to win the hearts of every family member. Today, join Mytour in the kitchen and unravel the secrets of making pork bone noodle soup in this article!

1. What do you know about pork bone noodle soup?

Banh canh is a delicious and uniquely flavored noodle soup. Unlike bun or pho, banh canh noodles are larger, shorter, and made from wheat flour, tapioca flour, or rice flour. After kneading, the noodles are placed in a pot of broth, cooked until perfectly tender, and then lifted out.

Image: Collected

Using pork bones to cook banh canh is a preferred method for many homemakers. Banh canh cooked with fragrant bone broth offers a rich, sweet flavor derived from the bones and vegetables.

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2. Prepare the Ingredients

To create steaming hot and enticing bowls of banh canh, the most crucial step is selecting the right ingredients. Choosing carefully-prepared meat and ingredients that complement each other is key. Here are suggestions for the essential ingredients to showcase your skills in making banh canh at home.

Required ingredients:

• Pork bones: 700g
• Banh canh flour (rice flour, tapioca flour, or wheat flour): 500g
• Carrots: 1 piece
• Lemongrass: 2 stalks
• Fresh chili (sliced): 1 piece
• Scallions, chopped shallots, minced garlic, cilantro
• Food coloring oil: 2 teaspoons
• Vegetable oil, fish sauce, and common spices (MSG, salt, sugar, ground pepper)

3. Learn how to cook delicious pork bone noodle soup

All set with the ingredients, now it's time to dive into making the pork bone noodle soup right away!

Step 1: Prepare the ingredients

• Rinse the pork bones with clean water. Note that the purchased pork bones often have a strong odor, to eliminate this odor, crush 2 lemongrass stalks, add 1 teaspoon of minced garlic and purple onions.
• Ignite a large flame and add all the pork bones with minced garlic and onions to the pot, simmer for 10 minutes.
• Scoop out the pork bones and rinse them thoroughly, then proceed to marinate the bones with purple onions, sugar, salt, and peppercorns.
• Peel and clean the carrots, then slice them.

Photo: Collection

Step 2: Create noodle strands

• Mix the dough with boiling water and a bit of cooking oil. Slowly pour boiling water into the dough, knead well until the dough is smooth and not sticky.
• After kneading into a smooth and elastic dough ball, the next step is to cut the noodle strands. First, sprinkle a little dry flour on the cutting board/plate.
• Take a small piece of dough from the kneaded ball, roll it thin, and then use a knife to cut it into bite-sized strands.

Photo: Collection

Step 3: Prepare the broth

• Sauté purple onions with cooking oil and a bit of vegetable oil, then add the marinated bones and simmer for a while to enhance the flavor.
• Add water and sliced carrots.
• Simmer over medium heat without covering the pot, frequently observe and skim off any foam if present.
• The pork bones will be tender in about 1 hour. The broth will be delicious and flavorful when you add spices about 10 minutes before turning off the heat.

Photo: Collection

Step 4: How to cook pork bone noodle soup

While simmering the bones, heat another pot of broth to cook the rice cakes.

Cut the rice cakes into pieces and cook them for about 30 minutes until they are soft and reach the desired chewiness.

Once the cakes are cooked, transfer them to a bowl of cold water and soak for 2 – 3 minutes to prevent sticking. Then, lift them into a clean basket.

With the rice cakes prepared, your broth is also ready. Now, place the rice noodle strands into individual bowls. Pour the hot bone broth over, submerging the rice noodles and bones.

5. Essential Tips for Cooking Pork Bone Noodle Soup

Though not overly complicated in preparation, ensuring the pork bone noodle soup is both delicious and nutritious requires keeping a few key points in mind:

Selecting the Right Pork Bones

• Opt for moderately-sized bones with minimal fat.
• High-quality pork bones exhibit a fresh pink color with no discoloration or unusual odors.
• Purchase pork bones in the early morning for the freshest and most flavorful meat. Avoid frozen bones as they may compromise the nutritional value and richness of the broth.

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