Step 1

Clean the oxtail with a tablespoon of coarse salt and lime juice, rinse and drain dry (cleaning is optional but recommended to remove any foul barnyard smell). Slice the unpeeled ginger into thick coins and give them a light smash. Peel the outer layer of the onion. If using pre-cooked beef meatballs, slice them in half and set them aside.

Step 2

I’m using an 8-Quart Instant Pot pressure cooker, switch to the sauté mode to fry and sear the beef on all sides until golden brown. Remove the oxtail. Add the onions and ginger to the pot and sear them until they become aromatic (about one minute). Add oxtail back into the pot, fill the inner pot with water up to the ⅔ max line, press the Pressure Cook button, and set the timer to 30 minutes, then press Start. It will take about 20 minutes to reach temperature.

Step 3

thinly slice the green onions (remove the root ends and keep the bottom white part long, about 2 inches), and thinly slice the rest. Peel and thinly slice the yellow onion. Thinly slice the jalapenos. Cut the lime into wedges.

Step 4

Toast the pho spices in a small skillet for 30 seconds, then place them in a spice bag and tie it closed.

Step 5

Add the rice noodles to a large mixing bowl and fill it with water. Soaking the rice noodles in water helps remove excess starch, separate the strands, and makes cooking quicker.

Step 6

When the pressure cooker is done, use the quick release method. I like to do this outside because it can get messy. A lot of oil will be at the top of the stock. Skim the top layer of oil and discard it or save it to use as oil for other recipes.

Step 7

Press Sauté and change the setting to High. Adjust as necessary to maintain a low simmer. Season the stock with rock sugar, sea salt, fish sauce, and MSG. Add the spice bag and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Step 8

Remove all the solids from the stock. Set aside the meat to cool and discard the rest. Once the meat is cool enough to handle, you can remove it from the bones for easier eating (optional, great for kids).

Step 9

Add more water up to the ½ line, making a total of 4 quarts. Add the sliced beef balls and stems of green onions. Once the mixture comes to a boil, the broth is done.

Step 10

To cook the noodles, bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Blanch a serving of noodles, one at a time, for about 5 seconds. Transfer noodles to a bowl, add oxtail and your desired toppings. Ladle in hot broth and meatballs. Squeeze in lime and enjoy.