Ideally, start preparing the stock the night before or early in the morning if serving Pho for dinner. Begin by thoroughly rinsing all bones and the rib pack if used. Prime them by washing, soaking, blanching, and roasting as appropriate.

Fill a large stockpot with about 6 quarts of water and bring it to a rolling boil over high heat. While waiting, peel and halve the shallots, red and white onions, and slice the ginger into thick pieces. Lightly roast the onions and ginger in a dry skillet until aromatic.

Once the water is boiling, add 1 tablespoon salt, the primed bones (and rib pack, if using), and all roasted aromatics. If you're using rock sugar or a special secret ingredient, roast that now and add it to the pot.

Allow the broth to return to a boil, then reduce the heat to a steady simmer. Simmer for 4–5 hours, skimming impurities and foam regularly. If using ribs, remove them after 1 hour, carve off the meat, and return the bones to the pot to continue flavoring the broth.

Follow the same priming steps. Fill the cooker with the appropriate amount of water and bring to a boil. Add the roasted aromatics, ½ tablespoon of salt, primed bones, and rock sugar or secret ingredient if using.

Seal the pressure cooker according to its manual, and when full pressure is reached, reduce the heat to low. Let it cook under pressure for about 3 hours (2 hours if using an electric model). Once done, turn off the heat and allow the pressure to release naturally.

If making broth ahead of time, remove and discard the fat layer that solidifies on top. Strain the broth, reserving the bones and optional secret ingredient for return. Discard all other solids.

Bring the clear stock to a simmer and season with fish sauce, a touch of rock sugar (if needed), or seasoning powder. The flavor should be slightly bold, as it will balance out with noodles and toppings later.

Place the spice bag into the simmering broth and let it steep for up to 1 hour, or until the classic Pho aroma becomes noticeable. Then remove the spice bag to avoid overpowering the broth.

If using tendon, brisket, flank, or other cooked meats, prime them by soaking and blanching. Add them to the simmering broth and cook until tender—brisket and flank about 1 hour, tendon around 90 minutes. After cooking, plunge the meats into an ice-cold water bath to stop cooking and lock in juiciness.

Slice the reserved rib meat and organize all toppings in airtight containers for easy assembly. If using tripe, soak it in vodka for 5 minutes, blanch briefly, chill in ice water, then thinly slice. Thinly cut raw eye of round for rare topping, and prep meatballs as desired.

Wash and prep all herbs and vegetables. Slice chili peppers, quarter limes, and set everything on serving platters. Thinly slice the green part of the scallions for garnish and add the white parts into the broth. Shave the white onion into ultra-thin slices for bowl topping.

Boil a pot of water beside the Pho broth. Warm the serving bowls by rinsing with hot water.

Cook a portion of noodles by dipping them into the boiling water for 1–3 minutes, until just tender. Transfer noodles to the bowl.

Top with sliced brisket, flank, tendon, tripe, meatballs, and finally raw eye of round on top. Sprinkle with shaved white onion, sliced scallions, and a touch of ground pepper.

Make sure your broth is very hot—bring it to a boil briefly if needed—and ladle it over the raw beef to gently cook it on contact.

Serve immediately with a generous plate of fresh herbs, bean sprouts, lime, chili, and condiments like hoisin and sriracha. Enjoy steaming hot.