Lamb Neck Pho

This pho takes a while, but most of the time is hands-off, and both the broth and the braised lamb can be made ahead. Pick up lamb neck and bones at the market, and on serving day the bowls come together in minutes.

Ingredients

For the stock

• At least 1 pound assorted lamb bones
• ⅛ to ¼ cup fish sauce

For the braised lamb neck

• 1 whole bone-in lamb neck
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 medium onions
• 1 lime
• 2 bird's-eye chiles
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 whole star anise
• 2 teaspoons whole fennel seed
• 2 teaspoons whole coriander seed
• A few whole cloves
• Half a palmful of sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 bottle sake or wine

For the bowls

• Wide rice noodles
• Fresh cilantro
• 1 cucumber, peeled and julienned
• 2 carrots, peeled and julienned or cut into ribbons
• Bean sprouts
• Finely chopped scallions
• Lime wedges
• Red pepper flakes
• Hot sauce

Instructions

1. Make the stock: Roast the lamb bones at 325°F for 35 to 40 minutes, until deep brown and fragrant, then let them cool.
2. Put the bones in a large stockpot, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam, lower to a gentle simmer and let it cook all day (or overnight), topping it up with cold water as it reduces. Strain and let cool.
3. Prep the lamb: With a sharp boning knife, cut out the thick, stretchy tendon that runs down the center of the neck. Add it to the stockpot or discard it.
4. Heat the oven to 300°F. Melt the coconut oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat and fry the onions, garlic and chiles. Meanwhile, toast the cinnamon, star anise, fennel, coriander and cloves in a dry cast-iron pan over medium-low heat.
5. When the onions are just short of charring, add the lamb neck and brown it quickly on all sides. Pour in the sake or wine and let it bubble until the sharp alcohol smell is gone.
6. Turn off the burner. Add the toasted spices, salt, pepper and brown sugar and stir gently. Cover and braise in the oven for 3 to 4 hours, until the meat is falling off the bone.
7. Pull the meat into shreds and discard the bone. Strain the braising liquid and keep it for another use; compost the spices and aromatics.
8. Assemble: Boil the rice noodles for 6 to 8 minutes, until tender, then drain and rinse under cold water. Heat 2 quarts of the stock over medium heat with the fish sauce and a generous pinch of salt.
9. Put ½ to ¾ cup noodles and a portion of lamb in each bowl and ladle the hot broth over. Top with cucumber, carrot, bean sprouts and scallions, add a few cilantro sprigs and a lime wedge, and pass pepper flakes and hot sauce at the table.

Tips

• If you keep homemade bone broth in the freezer, you can skip making the stock and save most of a day.
• Braise the lamb the night before. The next day the bowls take under 20 minutes.
• Look for a fish sauce made from just fish and salt, without a long list of additives.

Adapted from a recipe by Meredith Leigh.