Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons peanut oil
- 3 1/4 pounds meaty oxtails, patted dry
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 1 large carrot, peeled, chopped
- 3 stalks lemongrass, chopped
- 2/3 cup chopped peeled fresh ginger
- 8 garlic cloves, chopped
- 7 whole star anise
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 12 cups water
- 7 cups canned beef broth (about four 14 1/2-ounce cans)
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)
- 1 12-ounce package fresh udon noodles or fresh linguine
- 1 tablespoon oriental sesame oil
- 3 cups bean sprouts
- 6 radishes, thinly sliced
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- 4 serrano chilies, thinly sliced [CP: omit these to bring down spice]
- 6 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 6 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
- 6 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Additional fish sauce (nam pla)
Preparation
Heat peanut oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle oxtails with salt and pepper. Add oxtails to pot and brown on all sides, about 20 minutes. Transfer oxtails to large bowl. Add onions and next 6 ingredients to same pot. Sauté until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Return oxtails to pot. Add 12 cups water, beef broth and 3 tablespoons fish sauce. Cover and simmer gently until oxtails are very tender, about 3 hours.
Using tongs, transfer oxtails to large bowl. Strain broth into another large pot; discard solids. Remove meat from oxtails; discard bones. Add meat to broth.
Refrigerate overnight. Spoon solid fat off top of soup. Cook noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until tender. Drain; rinse under cold water. Return to same pot. Toss noodles with sesame oil.
Bring soup to boil. Divide noodles, sprouts and next 6 ingredients among 6 bowls. Ladle soup into bowls. Serve with lime wedges and additional fish sauce.
Bon Appetit, March 2000