When you go to a pho restaurant and can’t decide which delicious meat topping to get, there is always one option that has it all: Pho Dac Biet. Learning how to make the ultimate ‘special’ pho is about creating a masterpiece that combines a wide variety of different beef cuts into one incredible, harmonious bowl. Pho Dac Biet, or ‘Special Combination Pho,’ is the ultimate celebration of beef, offering a symphony of different flavors and textures in every single bite.
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🥩 What Goes into a ‘Special’ Bowl?
Pho Dac Biet is essentially the ‘house special’ or ‘everything’ bowl. While the exact combination can vary from one restaurant to another, a classic Pho Dac Biet typically includes a sampling of all the best beef toppings. A fully loaded bowl will often contain:
- Pho Tai: Paper-thin slices of rare steak.
- Pho Nam: Slices of tender, well-done flank.
- Pho Gau: Rich and fatty brisket.
- Pho Gan: Gelatinous and soft beef tendon.
- Pho Sach: Chewy and clean-tasting beef tripe.
- Pho Bo Vien: Bouncy and savory beef meatballs.
Slow-cooking the Well-Done Meats
The key to a great Pho Dac Biet is the proper preparation of each individual component. The well-done cuts of meat, such as the flank, brisket, and tendon, need to be simmered for several hours in the pho broth until they are perfectly tender. This long, slow cooking process not only tenderizes the meat but also enriches the broth itself. Once cooked, these meats are removed, cooled, and sliced thinly in preparation for assembling the final bowl.
🥣 How to Assemble the Ultimate Bowl
Creating a bowl of Pho Dac Biet is an exercise in abundance. The final assembly brings together all of your carefully prepared ingredients. You start with a base of noodles, then artfully arrange all the different cooked meats—the flank, brisket, tendon, tripe, and meatballs—on top. The final touch is to add the paper-thin slices of raw steak (Tai) over everything. When you pour the boiling hot broth into the bowl, the raw steak will cook instantly, and all the different meats will be heated through. Garnish generously and serve immediately for the ultimate pho experience.
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