Bún bò Huế — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

A bold and spicy beef noodle soup from the imperial city of Hue, featuring thick round rice noodles in a lemongrass-infused broth with tender beef shank slices, beef meatballs, and a vivid crimson chili oil floating on the surface.

Ingredients

500g beef shank, whole
300g beef knuckle bones
4 stalks lemongrass, bruised and cut in half
3 tablespoons annatto seed oil
2 tablespoons fermented shrimp paste
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
4 fresh red chilies, sliced
500g thick round rice noodles (bun bo)
1 onion, halved and charred
3cm piece ginger, charred
Fresh herbs: mint, cilantro, perilla leaves
Bean sprouts, lime wedges, banana blossom for garnish

Instructions

1 Blanch beef shank and bones in boiling water for five minutes, drain, rinse clean, and transfer to a large stockpot with fresh cold water.
2 Add charred onion, ginger, and bruised lemongrass to the pot, bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer for two and a half hours, skimming regularly.
3 Remove beef shank when tender, slice thinly against the grain, and set aside covered to stay moist while the broth continues developing flavor.
4 In a small pan, bloom annatto seeds in oil until deep red, strain, then stir the colored oil and fermented shrimp paste into the simmering broth along with fish sauce and sugar.
5 Cook rice noodles according to package directions, rinse in cold water, then divide among large deep bowls.
6 Arrange sliced beef over noodles, ladle the hot broth over everything, and garnish with fresh herbs, bean sprouts, sliced chilies, lime wedges, and shredded banana blossom.

Did You Know?

The broth gets its distinctive red color from annatto seed oil, not just chilies. In Hue, vendors often judge a cook's skill by the clarity and depth of their bun bo broth alone.