Cooking Off the Cuff Ly Nguyen's Pho Recipe
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Are you PHO real? Our first meal kit is finally here, with all the puns included!
We’re proud to announce this iconic Vietnamese noodle kit with our friend Ly Nguyen from Cooking off the Cuff. This special collaboration also features our favorite artisan fish sauce from Son Fish Sauce, and of course the one and only chili oil from Mai Mom's, two of our favorite Vietnamese American family-owned and operated businesses.
Pho is a traditional Vietnamese noodle soup and is the country’s national dish that is heavily influenced by both Chinese and French cuisine. This comfort dish is made by adding meats, bones, and aromatics to the broth. An iconic go-to breakfast in Vietnam that can be found across the entire region has been popularized in the United States and is easily one of Tuk Tuk Box's favorite meals.
Description:
Our friend Ly Nguyen is sharing her family’s favorite shortcut Oxtail Pho recipe with us and we couldn’t wait to share it too!
We've made it quick and easy without compromising the taste.
Our meal kit can make approximately 4-6 servings, complete with all the pantry staples and aromatic spices -- all you need to source is the produce. Serving up similar great tastes you’ve enjoyed during your last visit to Vietnam or in one of your favorite local Vietnamese restaurants! Included are sustainable bamboo chopsticks and Ly’s household’s staple red and white melamine bowl with a matching spoon reminiscent of her childhood. You will also receive a custom-designed canvas tote bag featuring a repeating "cám ơn" pattern or "thank you" in Ly's mother tongue.
Of course, we couldn't forget the community. Proceeds from each box sold will be donated to Vietnamese Boat People, whose mission is to preserve and carry forward stories for younger generations to be inspired by the history of resilience in the Vietnamese community through their podcast.
Ingredients (4-6 Servings)
—Broth & Noodles
2.5-3 LB OXTAIL
4 L + 2 L WATER
2 YELLOW ONIONS
2 THUMB SIZED PIECE OF GINGER
1 PHO SEASONING PACK
4 TBSP FISH SAUCE
3 TBSP MUSHROOM POWDER
1 TSP SALT
PHO NOODLES
—Toppings
1 YELLOW ONION, SLICED
1 BUNCH CILANTRO, CHOPPED
1 BUNCH GREEN ONIONS, SLICED
JALAPEÑOS, SLICED
THAI BASIL
LIME WEDGES
BEANSPROUTS
Instructions
- Soak oxtail in cold water for 1 hour, changing the water halfway through.
- In a toaster oven, roast onions and ginger skin on at 350 degrees for 1 hour. When it’s done, peel the onion skin and slice the ginger skin on.
- Drain, rinse and add oxtail to a large stock stock pot with onion, ginger and 4 L of water. Bring to a boil then simmer on medium low partially covered for 3 hours. Skim off scum occasionally as needed.
- Add 2 L of water and pho seasoning pack and simmer for 1 more hour. While waiting, cook noodles according to instructions and prep toppings.
- Add salt, then fish sauce and mushroom power a tablespoon at a time until you reach desired flavor. Mix well and adjust as needed. Set meat aside and strain broth.
- Assemble bowls and serve with desired toppings.
About Ly Nguyen
Ly Nguyen is currently a VP Group Creative Director at MRM leading campaigns, content creation and digital experiences for Cisco and Grubhub. Her first love was always cooking (she actually wanted to be a chef!) and as a second generation Vietnamese American, she taught herself recipes over the last few decades by watching (and eating) food made by all the talented women in her family who brought their rich experiences and culture to America as refugees.
Ly started her cooking blog, Cooking Off the Cuff, because of her daughter. She wanted her to understand their culture through cuisine so replicating tastes from her childhood was important in preserving their family history. Ly lost her mother in 2020, the same year she started documenting recipes, so cooking is a space of remembrance too.
Ly believes cooking should be creative, simple, and flexible and is all about ease in navigation. Traditional meals should be accessible and not intimidating, so she hopes to modernize methods and ingredients for all.
IG: @cookingoffthecuff
FB: Cooking Off The Cuff
Pinterest: cookingoffthecuff
TikTok: @cookingoffthecuff
About Vietnamese Boat People
The Vietnamese Boat People podcast project is to preserve and carry forward these stories for younger generations to be inspired by the history of resilience in the Vietnamese community. And through partnerships with other nonprofits they hope to mobilize the community to pay-it-forward and join in helping today's refugees transition into safer lives.
The organization is dedicated to working with individuals and families to tell their stories. They especially encourage younger generations to inquire and have a dialogue with their elders to learn more about their origin and history, and hope older generations will take the opportunity to share.
Learn more about them here.
IG: @vietnameseboatpeople
FB: Vietnamese People Podcast
Twitter: @VBPStories
