How to cook Bún Bò Huế – Spicy Beef and Pork Noodle Soup

Bún Bò Huế is a dish I've wanted to share with you for a while, but I just haven't got round to making it. Let's be honest, it's quite a labour-intensive dish with a long list of ingredients, but I promise you - it's worth every bit of effort. The deep, fragrant broth, the spiciness of the homemade chilli paste, the melt-in-the-mouth beef and pork, the crunch of Vietnamese pork sausage roll, and the abundance of fresh herbs and vegetables all come together to create a truly addictive bowl of spicy noodles. Have I convinced you yet?

If you've ever wondered how to cook Bún Bò Huế at home, I'm going to walk you through the steps. I'll also share how I split the work so I can even serve this on a weekday while working full-time. Everything is manageable with a bit of planning!

Preparing the broth in advance

To make things easier, I always prepare the broth the night before. More precisely, I prep all the ingredients and put them in the pressure cooker just before dinner. There are two reasons for this:

1. It splits the workload and saves me time the next day.
2. Once the beef and pork are cooked, I store them in the fridge overnight to set. This helps keep the meat intact when slicing twill still maintaining that melt-in-the-mouth texture. If you're short on time, chilling for at least a couple of hours will do the trick.

Ingredients for the broth base

• 1 pork shank (about 1.5kg) - Use a sharp knife to separate the meat from the bone, then roll the meat (including the kin) into a nice round shape, securing it with food thread.
• 800g beef shin - It's usually a big piece, so I cut it in half lengthways and roll each piece with food string.
• Pork bones - I use the bone from the shrank plus an extra one I stored in the freezer from last time (around 1.2kg) to add sweetness to the broth.

Cooking the broth

Place everything into the pressure cooker with 1 tablespoon salt and a couple of slices of ginger. Cook for 30 minutes and let the steam release naturally. If you don't have a pressure cooker, a stockpot works too - it just takes a couple of hours to simmer.

Once cooked, transfer the pork and beef to the fridge overnight (or at least couple of hours) before slicing.

Adding flavour to the broth

With the broth base ready, today's job is to build up the flavour. To the pot, add:

• 10 stalks of lemongrass, bruised to release fragrance
• 2 large onions, halved
• Ginger slices
• Half a large pineapple, cut into big chunks

Bring the broth to a boil and let it simmer for another 45 minutes.

Making the chilli paste

While the broth is simmering, I prepare the chilli sauce. This is what gives Bún Bò Huế its signature kick.

Ingredients for the chilli paste

• Annatto seed oil (made using this recipe)
• 1 stalk lemongrass, finely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 small shallots, minced
• 1 large red chilli (or two small ones), finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon chilli flakes

Cooking the chilli sauce

1. Heat a few tablespoons of annatto seed oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
2. Add the minced lemongrass, garlic, shallots and chilli. Stir constantly for a couple of minutes until fragrant and paste-like.
3. Add chilli flakes, mix well and let it simmer for another 30 seconds (be careful not to burn the chilli flakes).
4. Remove the heat and transfer to a small bowl.

To incorporate the chilli sauce into the broth, ladle a couple of scoops of broth into the pan to deglaze any leftover oil and chilli paste, then pour everything back into the main broth pot.

The essential ingredient - shrimp paste

Now, it's time to add the star ingredient - shrimp paste (Mắm ruốc). This is what gives Bún Bò Huếits signature umami depth.

• Take a few tablespoons of hot broth and mix it with the shrimp past to loosen it.
• Pour the mixture back into the broth through a sieve to remove any lumps.

• If you want a deeper red colour, you can add more chilli paste at this stage or serve extra on the side.
• Add 2 teaspoons of light brown sugar to balance the broth.

Preparing the noodles

Traditionally, Bún Bò Huế is served with thick round rice noodles, but if you can't find them, regular round rice noodles will do.

• If using thick round noodles, soak them in boiling water (with the heat off) for 12 minutes before draining.
• If using standard rice noodles, reduce the time to 4 minutes.

Slicing the meat and assembling the bowls

Once the broth is done, take the chilled pork and beef rolls from the fridge and slice them thinly with a sharp knife. Also slice the Vietnamese pork sausage roll (about 1/2 cm thick slices).

Now, let's build the bowls!

1. Divide the noodles into bowls.
2. Lay a few slices of pork and beef on top.
3. Add a slice of Vietnamese pork sausage.
4. Sprinkle chopped spring onions (both green and white parts).
5. Ladle steaming hot broth over everything.
6. Serve with a platter of fresh herbs and vegetables, including: sliced banana flower, beansprouts, lettuce, coriander, mint.

And there you have it - a beautifully fragrant, spicy and hearty bowl of Bún Bò Huế!

Final thoughts

I know this dish requires quite a bit of effort, but with the broth prepared in advance, it's surprisingly manageable - even for a weekday dinner! If you ever wanted to know how to cook Bún Bò Huế, I hope this step-by-step guide has made it feel more achievable.

So, what do you think? Have I got you addicted yet? If you give it a go, let me know how your homemade Bún Bò Huế turns out!