The fiercest and most complex of all Vietnamese noodle soups, Bun Bo Hue originates from the ancient imperial capital of Hue in central Vietnam. Unlike the delicate pho of Hanoi, Bun Bo Hue is unapologetically bold - its broth is built on lemongrass, shrimp paste, and fiery annatto oil, creating a deep reddish-orange color with a sharp, complex heat from the Sa Te chili paste. Thick round rice noodles replace the flat rice noodles of pho, and the soup contains multiple cuts of beef and pork.
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Blanch the beef shank and pork hocks in water for 5 minutes . Drain, rinse under cold water, and clean the bones thoroughly. This removes impurities for a cleaner broth.
Return the blanched meat to a clean stockpot with 8 cups of fresh water, bruised lemongrass stalks, halved onion (charred), and fish sauce. Bring to a , skim carefully, then on low heat for 2 hours .
Make the annatto oil: heat vegetable oil with annatto seeds over medium heat until the oil turns deep red, about 5 minutes . Strain and reserve the red oil.
In a small pan, the minced shallots and garlic in the annatto oil until golden. Add the sa te chili paste and for 2 minutes . Add the shrimp paste and briefly until aromatic.
Add the spice mixture to the broth. Season with fish sauce and salt to taste. The broth should be deeply flavorful, significantly salty, with a sharp lemongrass fragrance and visible red oil on the surface.
Remove the beef shank, slice against the grain. Prepare noodles according to package directions. Assemble bowls: noodles first, then sliced beef shank, a piece of pork hock, ladle over extremely hot broth. Serve with bean sprouts, banana blossom, sawgrass herb, lime, and fresh chilies.
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