Thai-Inspired Beef and Rice Soup


This recipe is very much in the spirit of the Faux Pho Ga I make, but using beef. I based it on my beloved Beef Zap-Zap Soup that reminds me of the happy times when Evan and I were first dating. As with pho ga, I just found I didn’t make it because it didn’t lend itself to big batches and leftovers. Yet I love the flavors. Our eldest got braces this week and is desperate for something nourishing and satisfying yet that also is soft enough that it doesn’t require chewing. I thought a modified zap-zap might be just the thing and it was. In fact our youngest asked how many times we got to have it week after she ate two bowls of it!
While you could cook the rice in the broth, I think you’ll get a cleaner flavor if you cook it separately first. Because I didn’t plan super well, my Instant Pot was in use so I just cooked it on the stovetop. You could easily make the broth ahead of time and freeze it; then putting the whole soup together would be a snap. 
I chose vegetables based on what we had on hand and found I really liked the color that broccoli brought to it. In many ways it reminded me of a soup version of the Beef and Broccoli stir-fry I also reinvented from a previous incarnation. You can adapt grains and vegetables to your preference easily.

STOCK
1 TBSP oil (any kind but olive oil might burn)
1 onion, quartered
3 to 3.5 lb beef bones, I used pretty meaty ones
2 stalks lemongrass, cut into 1/2 inch pieces or 2 TBSP lemongrass paste
2 star anise
8 cloves garlic, smashed
4 makrut lime leaves (I suspect mine were just regular lime, but they were at the store, so I bought them)
2-inch piece of ginger cut into 1/2 inch pieces (if you've got access to galangal, use that)
1 TBSP chopped cilantro or 8-10 whole stalks or to taste
4 TBSP dark soy sauce
1 TBSP light soy sauce
2 TBSP fish sauce
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 TBSP dark brown sugar or to taste
(2 tsp red pepper flakes optional)
4-5 qt water (or until my 5qt Instant Pot was at Max)

RICE
1 c. brown rice, rinsed and picked over
1 1/2 to 2 c. water

SOUP
1 TBSP oil
1 lb ground beef
1 large head broccoli cut into bite-sized pieces and pre-steamed (or you could cook in soup)
2-4 medium carrots, cut into a small dice and pre-steamed (or you could cook in soup)
Pre-cooked rice
2 Dashes light soy sauce
2 Dashes dark soy sauce
1-2 dashes fish sauce
De-fatted stock

STOCK INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Put oil in Instant Pot and turn on to Sauté mode medium. Add the onion quarters and fry until starting to brown in places
  2. Add the beef bones and cook, turning so they’re browned on several sides
  3. Add remaining ingredients, close lid making sure it’s set to Sealing. Cook at high pressure for 60 minutes. I used the Soup setting. When it’s done, I unplugged and let rest for 10 minutes before releasing the pressure
  4. Strain the stock well and defat if desired. My stock was pretty fatty and I needed to use the stock the same night so I used my gravy separator and it worked like a charm
  5. Set aside
RICE INSTRUCTIONS
  1. While the stock is cooking, bring 2 cups of water to a boil and add the brown rice and salt. Turn down to a low simmer and cook for 40 minutes. After the cooking time I like to put a tea towel on the pan with the lid on and let sit for 10 minutes. 
  2. If using the Instant Pot only add 1.5 c water and cook on multigrain mode for 20 minutes then let sit for 10 minutes before releasing pressure
SOUP INSTRUCTIONS
  1.  Place the oil in a large Dutch Oven and heat on medium-high
  2. Add the ground beef and cook until browned and no longer pink
  3. Add the rice, carrots and broccoli and stir in the soy sauces and fish sauce
  4. Pour as much stock as you like. I ended up using all but about 3 cups. I didn’t use it all because as much as I love the flavor of the broth, I wanted something that would keep us satisfied
  5. Bring to a boil then a simmer (if your stock isn’t already piping hot). Taste and adjust seasonings
  6. We got 3 nights’ worth of dinner for 4 people from this amount


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