Spicy Vietnamese Beef and Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• 3 cups bean sprouts 
• 1 tablespoon peppercorns black
• 7 cups beef broth canned ( four)
• 1 large carrots peeled chopped
• 6 tablespoons cilantro leaves chopped
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)
• 6 servings fish sauce (nam pla)
• 6 tablespoons basil fresh chopped
• 0.7 cup ginger fresh peeled chopped
• 6 tablespoons mint leaves fresh chopped
• 8  garlic clove chopped
• 4  spring onion thinly sliced
• 3 stalks lemon grass chopped
• 6 servings lime wedges 
• 2 large onion chopped
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil 
• 3.3 pounds oxtail dry
• 5 tablespoons vegetable oil; peanut oil preferred 
• 6  radishes thinly sliced
• 4  serrano chiles thinly sliced
• 7  star anise whole (star-shaped
• 12 ounce udon noodles fresh refrigerated ( Japanese wheat noodles)
• 12 cups water 

Equipment

• bowl
• ladle
• pot
• tongs

Directions

1. Heat peanut oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat.
2. Sprinkle oxtails with salt and pepper.
3. Add oxtails to pot and brown on all sides, about 20 minutes.
4. Transfer oxtails to large bowl.
5. Add onions and next 6 ingredients to same pot. Sauté until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Return oxtails to pot.
6. Add 12 cups water, beef broth and 3 tablespoons fish sauce. Cover and simmer gently until oxtails are very tender, about 3 hours.
7. Using tongs, transfer oxtails to large bowl. Strain broth into another large pot; discard solids.
8. Remove meat from oxtails; discard bones.
9. Add meat to broth.
10. Refrigerate overnight. Spoon solid fat off top of soup. Cook noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until tender.
11. Drain; rinse under cold water. Return to same pot. Toss noodles with sesame oil.
12. Bring soup to boil. Divide noodles, sprouts and next 6 ingredients among 6 bowls. Ladle soup into bowls.
13. Serve with lime wedges and additional fish sauce.
14. *Available at Asian markets and some supermarkets nationwide.