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If you've fallen in love with the rich culinary delights of Central Vietnam, then this recipe for beef and pork knuckle vermicelli soup from Mytour will help you successfully create a dish that's a feast for the senses. This dish captivates not only with its vibrant colors but also with its unique and tantalizing flavors, packed with nutritious ingredients. Let's get cooking right away.
1. Introduction to beef and pork knuckle vermicelli soup
Beef and pork knuckle vermicelli soup is a familiar dish from Central Vietnam with an unforgettable rich flavor. There are many variations of this dish. If beef vermicelli soup has a sweet, gentle flavor, then pork knuckle vermicelli soup has a rich, fatty taste with a special crispiness that's incredibly appealing. Moreover, the broth has a rich, refined flavor that's perfect for any season of the year.
Photo: @huynh_ninh
You can make this vermicelli dish at home with the following guide on how to cook delicious and authentic beef and pork knuckle vermicelli. Your whole family will surely love this dish.
2. How to cook beef and pork knuckle vermicelli
The ingredients provided by Mytour Blog are suitable for a serving of 2-3 people. You can adjust the seasonings or ingredients according to your family's portion size.
| Khẩu phần | Thời gian chuẩn bị | Thời gian nấu | Tổng thời gian |
| 2 – 3 người | 2 tiếng 30 phút | 2 tiếng 30 phút | 5 tiếng |
Ingredients Needed
*If you buy oxtail and are unsure what delicious dishes to make with oxtail, then consider this dish!
- Oxtail: 500g
- Pork knuckle: 1 piece
- Beef flank: 300g
- Lemon grass: Half a stalk
- Vermicelli: 1kg
- Onion: 1 bulb
- Lime: 3 fruits
- Chili: 3 fruits
- Lemongrass: 5 - 6 stalks
- Fermented shrimp paste: 1 spoon
- Turmeric powder: 1 spoon
- Chili powder: 1 spoon
- Banana blossom, spring onion, bean sprouts
- Seasonings: Salt, MSG, pepper, cooking oil, lard
- Pork ear: 400g
- Crab meat: 100g
- Raw pork sausage: 150g
- Cooked trotters: 4 - 5 pieces
Photo: Collected
Steps to Cook Beef and Pork Knuckle Vermicelli
Step 1: Preparing the Pork Knuckle and Beef
- Clean the pork knuckle, remove hair and nails, scorch or burn lightly to singe the outer skin. Wash thoroughly, cut into bite-sized pieces. Then blanch the pork knuckle in boiling water and rinse again with cold water.
- Clean the beef flank, oxtail. For the oxtail, remove excess fat to avoid cloudy broth.
- Prepare a pot of boiling water to cool down, add beef flank, oxtail and 2 spoons of salt to soak for about 1 – 2 hours. Then, take them out, rinse with clean water and cut into bite-sized pieces.
Step 2: Preparing the Seasonings
- Wash the lemon grass to remove dirt, cut into sections about 6cm long, peel and split into four. Then, put the lemon grass in 1.5 liters of water and boil for about 30 minutes, then remove the lemon grass and turn off the heat.
- Clean the lemongrass, crush the bulbs, split in half, then tie with a string. Grill the ginger and shallots until fragrant. Clean the bean sprouts, banana blossoms, and spring onions, and let them drain.
Photo: Collected
Step 3: Making crab paste
- Thinly slice the pork ear.
- Mix the raw pork sausage with crab meat, season with a little pepper, salt, and seasoning powder, then shape into balls.
Step 4: Mixing the Turmeric Powder
- Place a pan on the stove, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and 1 tablespoon of turmeric powder, set the heat to low and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add finely chopped shallots, chili powder to the pan, sauté until golden brown, then remove the solids and set aside.
- Prepare another pot with ½ liter of water and 1 tablespoon of fermented shrimp paste, add the mixed turmeric powder to the pot. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
- Turn off the heat, let the liquid settle, then strain through a sieve and retain the liquid.
Step 5: Cooking the Broth with Authentic Central Vietnam Flavor
This is the most important step in making beef and pork knuckle vermicelli.
- First, bring a pot of water with lemon grass to a boil, add 5 – 6 stalks of lemongrass, ½ tablespoon of salt, ginger, onion and the strained shrimp paste liquid.
- Add the oxtail, pork knuckle into the pot.
- Simmer over low heat for about 1-2 hours. During cooking, remember to skim off any foam for a clearer broth.
- Add the crab paste and beef flank into the broth, simmer for another 30 minutes.
- When the pot has about ⅓ of the liquid left, season with the appropriate spices and turn off the heat.
- If you prefer rare beef flank, do not add it to the broth, but slice it thinly separately. Before serving, boil the broth, blanch the beef flank briefly in the broth until rare, then remove it.
Step 6: Serving the Beef and Pork Knuckle Vermicelli
- Blanch the vermicelli in boiling water, then place it in a bowl.
- Arrange the pork knuckle, thinly sliced beef flank, cooked trotters, pork ear, crab paste with herbs, bean sprouts, and pour the broth over the top.
Photo: Collected
3. Finished Product
Following the instructions on how to cook beef and pork knuckle vermicelli from Mytour Blog, the dish will have a flavorful broth, enticing aroma, and a slightly spicy taste. Lemon grass helps make the broth sweet and refreshing, without the need for MSG.
The vermicelli dish boasts eye-catching orange-red color from the turmeric powder, white from the noodles, orange-yellow from the crab paste, a hint of brown from the meat, green from the spring onions, and a touch of red from the chili. The beef is tender and flavorful, not tough. The pork knuckle is cooked to perfection.
When enjoying, add fresh herbs, bean sprouts, banana blossoms, and a splash of lime or kumquat juice to your liking. You can enjoy this dish for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Wishing you and your family delicious and mouthwatering meals. For a change, you can also learn how to make other noodle dishes such as:
- How to Cook Southern-Style Beef Pho
- How to Cook Hue-Style Beef Vermicelli
Photo: @co2kristy
4. Tips for Cooking Delicious Beef and Pork Knuckle Vermicelli
- For the tail bones, it's best to choose large, moderately sized bones with little fat. Make sure to select pieces with lean meat, fresh color, and the distinctive aroma of beef. Avoid choosing bones that are frostbitten, as they will lose their delicious aroma over time.
- While simmering the bones, if the water evaporates, add hot water instead of cold water, as cold water will diminish the sweetness of the bones.
Hoping that with the recipe for beef and pork knuckle vermicelli provided here, you can successfully cook a pot of delicious Central Vietnamese-style vermicelli to treat your entire family. However, this is just a light dish for breakfast or a change of taste. For daily meals, you can also refer to a list of delicious beef dishes to supplement nutrition for the whole family.
