Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
Broth
- 1 pound pork ribs (450g)
- ⅛ cup dried shrimps (30g)
- 1 bulb onion
- 1 stalk lemongrass (optional)
- 1 tbsp salt (to your taste)
- 1 tbsp rock sugar (15g) (granulated sugar is ok)
- 1 tbsp chicken powder (to your taste)
- 3 tbsp fish sauce (to your taste)
- 8.5 cup water (2 litesr)
- 3 tomatoes (cut into wedges)
- 1 bulb shallot (thinly sliced)
- 1 tbsp paprika powder
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
- Fried tofu
Crab Paste (Riêu Cua)
- 1 pound ground pork (450g)
- ⅛ cup dried shrimps (30g)
- 4.4 oz crab meat (125g) (optional)
- 4 tbsp canned crab paste (Bún Riêu Cua seasoning)
- 1-3 eggs
- fish sauce (to your taste)
- sugar (to your taste)
Other ingredients
- 1 package Bún Bò Huế Thick Rice Noodles
- 1 bunch Water Spinach (Ong Choy)
- Mắm Tôm (fermented shrimp paste)
- Tamarind sauce (optional)
- Lime/Lemon (cut into wedges)
- Green onion
- Cilantro
Instructions
Prepare the broth:
- Wash the dried shrimps.
- Parboil the pork ribs with some salt, then thoroughly wash and rinse them.
- Put the pork ribs back to the pot along with water, onion, lemongrass, dried shrimps, salt, and rock sugar. Simmer over medium-low heat for one hour, making sure to skim off any scum that rises to the surface.
- In a pan, heat some cooking oil and 1 tablespoon of paprika powder over medium-low heat for about 3 minutes to infuse the red color from the paprika powder into the oil.
- Add the sliced shallot and sauté until fragrant, then add 2/3 of the tomato wedges. Stir-fry the tomato with some fish sauce until they are soft and fully cooked.
- Transfer all the tomatoes to the broth. Don't forget to scrape all the tomato sauce from the pan—it's the golden liquid.
- Finally, add the fried tofu to the broth.
Prepare the crab paste (riêu cua):
- Rinse the dried shrimps and soak them in water until they become plump and soft. Drain the shrimps, and add the soaking water to the broth.
- Blend the shrimps in a food processor until they get a cotton floss-like texture.
- Mix ground pork, dried shrimp, crab meat, crab paste, and eggs in a bowl. Season the mixture with fish sauce and sugar. To taste, microwave a small portion and adjust seasoning as needed. If not using immediately, refrigerate.
- With two spoons, scoop the crab paste and gently drop it into the simmering broth over medium-low heat. Riêu cua is ready when it floats to the surface. Add the remaining tomato wedges to the broth.
- Season the broth with fish sauce and chicken powder. Keep in mind that the broth should have a slightly saltier flavor than desired as it will dilute when served with noodles.
Cook rice noodles:
- Thicker rice noodles require a longer cooking time than regular ones (at least 30 minutes), so I suggest soaking them for at least 2 hours beforehand.
- When cooking the rice noodles, ensure you use COLD WATER to prevent them from breaking easily. Remember to taste the noodles every few minutes to check their doneness.
- After cooking, rinse the noodles thoroughly in cold water several times until the water runs clear. Drain the noodles well before serving.
Blanch water spinach:
- Cut the water spinach into pieces that are 8 inches (20cm) long.
- Wash the vegetables in water with couple of soaks and rinses.
- In a pot, add salt to the water and blanch the water spinach in boiling water for about 1 minute.
Serve:
- In serving bowls, place the rice noodles, followed by pork ribs, crab paste, tofu, water spinach, and tomato. Pour the broth over the noodles. Garnish with green onions and cilantro.
- Adjust the flavor with mắm tôm and tamarind sauce (or lime) according to your preference. Enjoy!
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