Noodle soup (Pho)

Ingredients
•  1 kg (2 lb) fleshy pork or beef bones, chopped into 5 cm (2 in) pieces 
•  3 l (5–6 pt) water
•  1 medium onion, sliced vertically in half; slice halves into ½ cm vertical slices
•  1 small piece star anise, half the size of a pinkie fingernail (optional)
•  1 small bunch coriander plants including roots
•  1 small bunch sawtooth herb, washed and trimmed 
•  1 head lettuce, washed; leaves separated 
•  4 snake beans, cut into 5 cm (2 in) pieces
•  2 large handfuls mint 
•  6 long reddish chillies 
•  2 limes, cut for squeezing
•  1 medium tomato, firm, sliced into rounds 
•  1 bunch spring onions, 3 fingers-width 
•  2 C mung bean sprouts
•  2 T stock powder 
•  ½ packet (250 g) beef balls (about 20) 
•  ½ kg fer noodles, fresh (or 1 packet of dried rice vermicelli noodles)
•  1 small pot water for heating noodles 
•  3 T peanut chilli sauce 
Condiments: fish sauce, sugar, wedges of lime, deep-fried spring onions or shallots, chilli paste and chilli flakes
Serves four.

Method
1.  Put a large pot filled two-thirds with water on to boil. Add a quarter of the sliced onion and the star anise (optional). Put the rest of the onion on a large plate to be used for the garnishes.
2.  Wash and pick over the coriander. Cut the roots off and toss these into the heating water. Add the pork bones to the pot, cover and bring to the boil. 
3.  Take the remaining coriander and finely chop half. Put on the garnish plate. Put the rest, uncut, on a large platter for the table accompaniments. Place the sawtooth herb, lettuce, snake beans, mint and chillies on the same platter. 
4.  Prepare wedges of lime and tomato and add to the garnish plate.
5.  Wash the spring onions; trim off roots. Take six and finely chop them for garnish. Put on the garnish plate. 
6.  Trim the remaining spring onions, so that the white bulb end has just a bit of green still attached. Place on the platter. Trim the remaining onion greens and place alongside the white ends.
7.  Wash the bean sprouts, pick off anything that is not fresh, place in clean water to soak and set aside until serving time. 
8.  After the stock has been boiling for about 15 minutes, add the 2 tablespoons of stock powder. Stir to dissolve, simmer for 10 minutes and then add the beef balls. Remove the pork bones and set aside to cool enough to handle. Continue simmering the stock.
9.  Slice the meat off the bones and put in a bowl to use as another garnish for the fer. Return the bones to the stock, simmer for another 10 minutes and then remove the pot from the heat. At this stage preparation can be halted until it is time to serve the meal.
Information by Food from Northern Laos (The Boat Landing Cookbook)
Video by EatNowCryLater