Slow-Simmered Vietnamese Beef Pho with Brisket and Tendon

By AislePrompt Test Kitchen · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-05-26 · Updated 2026-05-26

A traditional Vietnamese noodle soup featuring a rich, fragrant beef broth slowly simmered for hours, served with tender brisket, tendon, rare steak, meatballs, and fresh herbs. This vietnamese-inspired soups ready in about 315 minutes pairs beef bones, brisket, tendon for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 420 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 3 lbs beef bones
• 1 lb brisket
• 0.5 lb tendon
• 0.5 lb, thinly sliced rare steak (sirloin)
• 6 pieces beef meatballs
• 1 large, halved onion
• 4-inch piece, halved ginger
• 4 whole star anise
• 5 whole cloves
• 1 stick cinnamon stick
• 3 pods cardamom pods
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 1 tbsp rock sugar
• 1 tbsp salt
• 14 oz rice noodles
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1/2 cup fresh Thai basil
• 1/2 cup cilantro
• 4 wedges lime wedges
• 1 small jalapeño sliced jalapeño

Instructions

1. Step 1: Char 1 large halved onion and 4-inch halved ginger under a broiler or over a gas flame for 5 minutes until blackened and fragrant.
2. Step 2: In a large stockpot, add 3 lbs beef bones, the charred onion, and ginger, and cover with 5 quarts of cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 3 hours, skimming foam every 20 minutes.
3. Step 3: After 3 hours, add 1 lb brisket and 0.5 lb tendon to the broth and simmer for an additional 1.5 hours until tender.
4. Step 4: Toast 4 star anise, 5 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, and 3 cardamom pods in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes until aromatic, then add to the broth along with 1/4 cup fish sauce, 1 tbsp rock sugar, and 1 tbsp salt. Simmer for 30 more minutes.
5. Step 5: Remove the brisket and tendon, slice the brisket thinly, and cut the tendon into bite-sized pieces. Strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve and keep hot.
6. Step 6: Prepare 14 oz rice noodles by soaking in hot water for 10 minutes until pliable, then briefly blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain well.
7. Step 7: To serve, divide noodles into 6 bowls. Top with sliced brisket, tendon, 0.5 lb thinly sliced rare sirloin steak, and 6 beef meatballs.
8. Step 8: Ladle the hot broth over the meat and noodles to cook the rare steak. Garnish each bowl with 1 cup bean sprouts, 1/2 cup fresh Thai basil, 1/2 cup cilantro, 3 sliced green onions, sliced jalapeño from 1 small pepper, and lime wedges.