Pho French Dip
Pretty sure there’s a Farmer’s Market on Oahu every day, which is exactly where we fell in love with the Pho French Dip.
*said in the manner of Sophia from The Golden Girls*
Picture it: Hawaii.
Sun kissed and slightly hungry, we made the short walk to Kailua Town Center to admire the fresh produce while listening to live music with the rest of the community.
Noting the incredible food available, we took one vibey pass through the place to weigh our options.
That’s when we saw the line.
Dozens deep and wrapped around the open air market, The Pig and the Lady, with its Vietnamese flavors and local ingredients, were causing quite the scene.
So we hopped in line.
*okay, we’re, like, totally back to my voice again*
Now there’s a thing they do at the Farmer’s Market food stands in Oahu that I haven’t seen anywhere else - and that’s that they make entire plates of what they’re selling and prop them up with little signs so you can actually see what your options are.
Which, don’t get me wrong, is suuuper helpful when you aren’t familiar with a menu, but the heat and humidity often causes these gorgeous plates of food to completely wilt before the night’s through, making you kind of second guess what you decided to order - because what in the heck is (or was) that thing in front of me.
But once we got our fresh Pho French Dip home and were able to dig in, we knew we’d be hitting the Kailua Farmer’s Market every Thursday going forward - that is, while we’re in Hawaii.
And for those time we aren’t, here’s how we make it at home.
here’s what you’ll need
for the pho-braised chuck roast:
2 lb chuck roast
1 onion, halved
2-inch piece of fresh ginger, smashed
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1 serrano chili, halved
2 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise
4 cloves
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp black peppercorns
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
6 cups beef broth
extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
for the Thai basil chimichurri:
1 cup Thai basil leaves
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1 serrano chili
2 garlic cloves
1 shallot
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
for the sando:
a baguette
1 cup bean sprouts
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
cilantro
Sriracha
extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
here’s what you’ll need to do
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Trim fat cap off your chuck roast and season the whole thing generously with salt and pepper.
In a large Dutch Oven, heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil over medium high heat. Add chuck roast to the pot and give it a good sear on all sides (approximately 2 to 3 minutes per). Remove roast from the pot and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium low and pour stock into the Dutch Oven. Add fish sauce, soy sauce, hoisin and sugar, and bring to a simmer.
Meanwhile, place 1 halved onion, 2 inches of ginger, a serrano pepper and 4 cloves of garlic in a cast iron skillet (or griddle, if you have one) over medium high heat to develop a bit of charred flavor. Once they’re nice and roasty, remove from pan and add to your Dutch Oven.
Put cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, coriander seeds, fennel seeds and peppercorns in the cast iron skillet and toast for about a minute to release fragrance. Add them to the Dutch Oven, too.
Finally, place your chuck roast back in the Dutch Oven, add a lid, and put in your preheated oven to braise for about 3 hours, or until the roast is fork tender.
Once cooked through, remove roast from the pot and allow to rest for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, strain the braising liquid and set aside. This will be the pho broth you dip your sandwiches in.
Now it’s time to make your Thai basil chimichurri. Simply place all the chimichurri ingredients in a food processor and blitz until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and set aside.
And finally, drizzle olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add one half of a thinly sliced onion and sauté until soft. Add bean sprouts for a quick touch of heat and season the whole thing with salt and pepper. Set aside!
Once your beef is fully rested, thinly slice it against the grain and place back in the pho broth so it remains extra moist (I know, ewwwww) while you assemble your sandwiches.
Slice baguette in half, making sure to keep one edge intact so all your stuff doesn’t slide out. Slather both sides of the baguette with chimichurri and drizzle with Sriracha for a little more heat. Add a layer of sautéed onions and bean sprouts, top with thinly sliced beef and a handful of cilantro.
Serve sandwiches alongside a small bowl of pho broth for dipping, and enjoy!