December 28, 2019

Pho Ap Chao

Pho Ap Chao

This is one of my favorite dishes. It’s packed with veggies and has the perfect carb-y texture of both crispy AND chewy noodles.

My mom and one of my aunts seem to make this recipe all the time (at least once a month, if not more). I always thought it was because it was such a household favorite (and it is) but after making it, I realize that another likely reason is that it’s just easy. The ingredients and the technique are incredibly simple yet it feels like a treat with the crispy noodles drowned in the rich stirfry. It’s also surprisingly quick to cook. I found that if I took care of the marination ahead of time, I could pull everything else together in about 30 minutes! And in terms of special ingredients, only the rice noodles and the tofu (which is completely optional) required a trip to the asian grocery store.

However, as simple as this recipe is, it took me 3 tries to get it right. I consulted my mom and aunts and while they gave me the same steps, I couldn’t get straight answers when it came to measurements. The first try resulted in a good marinade for the meat but the broth was bland. On the second try, I overcompensated and it was too salty. I debated calling it a day but that seemed to defeat the point of this blogging effort so I gave it another go and the recipe below is definitely one that I won’t be tinkering with anymore.

We often adjust quantities and selection based on people’s preferences.
Fresh hu tieu noodles, wider than pho noodles (either works) and found in the refrigerated produce section in a bag or on a tray.
Noodles, post frying.

Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Pho Ap Chao

My aunt (Co Trang) wrote down the bones for this recipe but I also consulted my mom and Chef Teresa to help adjust the seasoning since they all go by eyesight when cooking.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Marination1 hr
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Keyword: beef, noodles, pho, stirfry
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • .75 lb beef (flap meat, filet minion, or skirt), sliced 1 lb if not adding tofu
  • 2 small broccoli crowns, florets separated
  • 10 small baby bok choy (about 1/2 package), sliced in half or 4 medium baby bok choy (what American grocery stores carry), sliced in quarters
  • 1 large carrot, sliced diagonally
  • 2 celery stems, sliced diagonally
  • 1 small – medium tomato, sliced into 8ths
  • 1/2 small – medium yellow onion, sliced
  • 2 tsp salt + more for seasoning
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup chicken broth OPTIONAL
  • 1 tsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 package fresh flat rice noodles (hu tieu or pho)
  • 1 package fried tofu OPTIONAL

Beef Marinade

  • 1+ tsp onion powder slightly heaping tsp for .75 lbs meat or 1.5 tsp for 1 lb meat
  • 1+ tsp garlic powder slightly heaping tsp for .75 lbs meat or 1.5 tsp for 1 lb meat
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tsp vegetable oil

Instructions

  • Mix together all marinade ingredients, add beef, refrigerate for an hour or more.
  • Clean and cut veggies to desired size. Loosen noodles from package and place in a bowl.
  • Boil 6 cups of water with 2 tsp of sugar and salt. In batches, quickly boil all vegetables except tomatoes (20-30 seconds after fully submerging is sufficient). Set broth aside.
    At the same time heat 1/4 cup of vegetable oil in a small round pan. Once hot, add 1/4 noodles and fry about 3-5 minutes on each side depending on crispiness preference. Set aside on plate lined with paper towel. Continue cooking noodles in separate pan while following remaining steps and replenishing oil as needed.
  • Using same pot/pan for vegetables, heat 1 tbsp of oil, add onions and saute until golden (about 4 minutes). Add beef and saute until no longer pink (about 4-5 minutes). Set aside.
  • Using same pot/pan, heat 1 cup veggie broth + 1 cup of chicken broth (or 2 cups of veggie broth if not using chicken broth) with soy sauce, fish sauce, and oyster sauce. Additionally, mix 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with a few spoonfuls of water. Once broth is heated, add cornstarch mixture to thicken. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Add tofu and allow to warm and soak in sauce (about 1 minute). Then add cookied veggies, tomatoes, and beef last.

Notes

Depending on preference, I suggest modifying the veggie components to match what you like to eat. Additionally, while I’m very happy with my latest rendition (I ate 2 full plates), I wanted to add both aunts’ original instructions for seasoning the sauce, which others with more savory tastes might prefer. Both are variations of the seasoning ingredients in step 5 and I recommend using the same amount of broth and cornstarch. 
Co Trang’s version:
  • 1-2 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1-2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
Chef Teresa’s version:
  • 3 cloves minced garlic (note: I didn’t ask for Chef Teresa’s marinade recipe and Co Trang uses quite a lot of garlic powder in her marinade so I didn’t add this)
  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sugar (note: my mom also adds sugar in this step but does not add sugar when cooking the vegetables so I didn’t add this)
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