How to Cook Super Delicious Sweet and Savory Hủ Tiếu Noodles for Breakfast

How to prepare Noodle Soup

• 1

  Preparing the bone marrow

  The purchased pork bones should be chopped into bite-sized pieces or ask the seller to chop them for you, then wash them with diluted salt water, rinse with clean water, and place them in a colander to drain.

  Tips for cleaning pork bones, removing odors:

  • Additionally, to completely eliminate the odor of pork, before preparing the dish, briefly dip the bones in boiling water for about 2 minutes, then remove and rinse with cold water.
  • Another useful tip is that you can add a little white wine to the water when blanching the bones. The wine effectively removes odors.

  
• 2

  Prepare other ingredients

  White radish, you peel and cut into chunks to stew (do not cut too small so that when stewing, the water does not get too mushy).

  Picked mustard greens, soak in water for about 30 minutes, then rinse clean and let drain, cut into pieces.

  Green onions, wash clean, remove roots, chop the roots finely, and cut the leaves into small pieces. Red onions, peel and chop finely. Lemon, cut into pieces and remove the core.

  Chives, wash clean, let drain, and cut into sections. Bean sprouts, wash clean and let drain. Onions, remove the root, cut off the ends, and cut in half.

  Dry squid, grill briefly to release its aroma, then tear into pieces. Dried shrimp, wash clean and let drain. Black pepper, lightly roast in a pan to enhance the aroma.

  Char siu pork, cut into bite-sized pieces. Pork fat, wash clean, let drain, then cut into small bite-sized pieces to make crispy pork fat.

  Minced meat, put in a bowl, add 0.5 teaspoons of chopped green onion, 2 teaspoons of seasoning, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 0.5 teaspoon of pepper, and 2 teaspoons of sesame oil, mix well to combine the ingredients.

  

  

  

  
• 3

  Cooking the broth

  You put 3.5 liters of water into the pot, add the bones when the water is still cold, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 20 grams of rock sugar, then turn the heat up high to bring the water to a boil, when the water boils, you adjust the heat to medium and then skim the foam off the top.

  Tip for you: While cooking, if foam rises, you should gently skim off that layer of foam to help the broth become clearer.

  You wrap dried squid, dried shrimp, and black pepper in a mesh bag or cloth to simmer.

  You add radish, pickled mustard greens, and onion, wrapped in a mesh bag, into the simmering pot (remember to adjust the amount of water so that when simmering, if the water reduces, you can add more).

  You simmer for about 2.5 hours to extract all the sweetness from the bones, then remove the white radish, pickled mustard greens, and the mesh bag, and season with an additional 16 grams of rock sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, and 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder.

  

  
• 4

  Making crispy pork cracklings

  You place a pan on the stove, add the fat to fry, and add a little water so that the fat cooks and releases oil when frying. Fry until the cracklings turn golden, then remove them to a bowl.

  During the frying process, you can add a little salt to enhance the flavor of the fat and help preserve it longer.

  How to make delicious crispy pork fat without splattering oil

  • Do not cut the fat into pieces that are too small, as frying them will cause the cracklings to break apart, making them unappealing and less tasty.
  • The fat must be dried or completely drained to avoid splattering when frying.
  • When frying the cracklings, you can add a few crushed garlic cloves or a little high-proof liquor when the fat is bubbling. This will help the fat be preserved longer.

  How to preserve crispy cracklings for a long time

  • To preserve the leftover cracklings, use a sieve to separate the cracklings and liquid fat into two separate containers. Store the liquid fat in the fridge and use it gradually, while the cracklings can be stored at room temperature and added to stews at the final step.
  • With this preservation method, cracklings can be stored for up to 1 month. You should not keep them too long because they will become oily and lose their quality.

  

  
• 5

  Sautéing shallots and stir-frying meat

  Leave the oil from the rendered fat in the pan, continue to sauté shallots until fragrant and then remove them (depending on your preference, you can sauté the shallots until golden or just cooked through).

  Then add the marinated meat and stir-fry until tender (if the meat seems dry, add a little water while stir-frying).

  

  
• 6

  Blanching noodles

  When buying Hủ tiếu or noodles, separate the strands to loosen them. If the Hủ tiếu or noodles are too long, you can use scissors to cut them into bite-sized pieces, about 20 – 30 cm.

  Then, soak the Hủ tiếu and noodles in a bowl of cold water for 5 to 10 minutes.

  Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the noodles along with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of cooking oil to ensure the noodles are tasty and not mushy. Boil fresh noodles for about 2 minutes, and if using dried noodles, boil for about 3 minutes.

  After that, remove them and place in a bowl of ice water to cool down, then drain.

  Tips for blanching Hủ tiếu/noodles perfectly without being mushy

  • Use your hands to squeeze the noodle strands; as soon as they become soft, remove them immediately, do not leave them too long or they will become mushy.
  • After removing them, place in a bowl of cold water and wait for about 2 minutes to cool down, then take the Hủ tiếu and noodles out and place them in a bowl. Doing this will ensure the noodles remain chewy and not mushy.
  • Avoid blanching the noodles in the broth as it will make the broth sour. You should boil a separate small pot of water to blanch the noodles.
  • Add a little cooking oil or rendered fat into the blanching water to prevent the Hủ tiếu and noodles from sticking together and to give them a nice sheen.

  

  

  

  
• 7

  Completion

  After blanching, place the noodles in a bowl, add char siu, bean sprouts, fried pork fat, fried shallots, minced meat, then pour in the broth and add pork bones along with green onions, and sprinkle a bit of pepper to enhance the flavor of the dish.

  

  
• 8

  Final Product

  The best way to enjoy the dish is with lettuce, bean sprouts, a little chili, along with fish sauce or soy sauce for dipping. With a delicious sweet broth, fragrant and appealing char siu, a hot bowl of Hu Tieu noodles will bring delicious and nutritious meals for your family!