Vietnamese Spiced Beef Stock (Nuoc Dung Bo)

Ingredients

• 3 lbs meaty beef bones or oxtails
• 14 cups water
• 1 3-inch piece of ginger
• 1 onion
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 6 whole star anise
• 1½ cinnamon sticks
• 2 large bay leaves
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds

Directions

1. Blanch the bones over high heat in a large stockpot to remove impurities, then drain. Put the bones back in the pot and cover with 14 cups of water. Salt and return to a boil.
2. Meantime, char the ginger and onion over the burner, using tongs–this should take about 4 minutes. Rinse away any ash, and add both to the pot. Stir in the star anise, cinnamon, bay, cloves, and sugar. Put the fennel seeds in cheesecloth, a teaball, or in tin foil that’s been pierced all over, and add them to the pot.
3. When the stock comes to a boil, reduce heat to law and simmer, skimming, for about 2½ hours. Strain and remove fat.