Vietnamese Pho: Beef Noodle Soup

INGREDIENTS

• THE BROTH
• 2 onions, halved
• 4" nub of ginger, halved lengthwise
• 5-6 lbs of good beef bones, preferably leg and knuckle
• 1 lb of beef meat - chuck, brisket, rump, cut into large slices [optional]
• 6 quarts of water
• 1 package of Pho Spices [1 cinnamon stick, 1 tbl coriander seeds, 1 tbl fennel seeds, 5 whole star anise, 1 cardamom pod, 6 whole cloves - in mesh bag]
• 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt (halve if using regular table salt)
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 1 inch chunk of yellow rock sugar (about 1 oz) - or 1oz of regular sugar
• THE BOWLS
• 2 lbs rice noodles (dried or fresh)
• cooked beef from the broth
• 1/2 lb flank, london broil, sirloin or eye of round, sliced as thin as possible.
• big handful of each: mint, cilantro, basil
• 2 limes, cut into wedges
• 2-3 chili peppers, sliced
• 2 big handfuls of bean sprouts
• Hoisin sauce
• Sriracha hot sauce