Wash the beef and beef bones with salty water to remove all impurities. Peel the shallot, white onion, and ginger, then cut them in half. Slightly crush 2 stalks of lemongrass. Slice off the skin of the pineapple and cut it into pieces (you don’t need to remove the pineapple eyes). You can grill the vegetables to enhance the flavor.

Add all the ingredients (beef, beef bones, shallot, white onion, ginger, pineapple, lemongrass) to a large pressure cooker. Turn on medium heat and cook for at least 45 minutes in the pressure cooker.

While waiting for the broth to simmer, boil Hue rice vermicelli (sợi bún bò). Hue rice vermicelli is a special type of rice noodle exclusively used for bun bo Hue. It’s thicker than regular rice vermicelli, so it takes more time to boil. Add the thick rice vermicelli to a pot of water and boil on high heat for 30 minutes or a bit more. You can test the doneness by chewing a piece; if it’s soft and slightly chewy, stop boiling and immediately rinse the vermicelli under cool water.

For the vegetables, in case you have banana blossoms or morning glory to enjoy with Bun bo Hue, wash them thoroughly first. Slice the banana blossoms horizontally and slice the stalks of morning glory vertically, then soak them in water for a while. With bean sprouts and lettuce, you just need to wash and leave them dry. Chop spring onions and slice white onion if you want to eat bun bo Hue with these.

Finely chop 3 stalks (or more if you prefer a more intense lemongrass aroma) and fry them in annatto oil. You can also substitute paprika oil or chili oil for annatto oil if you would like to make the Bun bo Hue spicier. The oil will impart a vibrant orange color to the broth.

Once done, open the pot, remove the beef, and add the infused oil to the beef broth. Then, season the broth with condiments including shrimp paste, fish sauce, salt, and shacha sauce.

When the cooked beef has cooled down, slice it thinly, ready to serve. Cut the Vietnamese Ham (cha lua) into 1cm slices.

In a large bowl, place rice vermicelli as the base. Add beef slices, Vietnamese ham, and vegetables on top. Finally, pour the beef broth over. Prepare some chili and lime/lemon wedges to garnish the dish if desired.