Helen introduces her unique pho style, which is a nontraditional yet recognizable take on the classic dish.

• Helen's pho is nontraditional but contains flavors that are familiar to pho enthusiasts.
• She has added her personal cooking style into the dish, creating a broth that is noticeably different.

Helen sources quality meats and bones from Pat LaFrieda warehouse for her mother stock.

• Helen visits the warehouse late at night to select beef shanks and bones for her stock.
• She discusses the importance of quality ingredients like dry-aged ribeye and short rib for her restaurant's burgers.
• Pat LaFrieda personally assists Helen in understanding different types of bones and meats.

Helen begins the process of making her mother stock, emphasizing the choice of bones and their preparation.

• Helen shares her journey from using random bones to carefully selecting specific cuts for her stock.
• Her relationship with Pat LaFrieda's team has taught her about cuts ideal for stocks, stews, and more.
• Learning from the experts at LaFrieda, Helen has refined her recipe to include beef shanks and neck bones for a rich stock.

Helen selects dry-aged beef for the stock and begins the cooking process at her restaurant.

• Helen expresses her preference for 60-day dry-aged beef for its balanced flavor profile.
• She then takes the selected meats back to her restaurant to start the mother stock, beginning with bones and then adding meat.

Helen details the boiling and skimming process of her mother stock.

• The stock is brought to a boil and skimmed for clarity and purity.
• Helen monitors the cooking times for different cuts of meat and maintains a rolling boil before reducing to a simmer.

The mother stock is enhanced with dry-aged beef and used in various dishes.

• Dry-aged rib is added to the stock to intensify the beef flavor.
• Meat from the stock, like oxtail and brisket, is repurposed for other dishes like fried rice and stews.

Helen prepares the final pho broth by adding spices and aromatics.

• Aromatics are toasted and sweated before being added to the stock.
• The broth is finished with the addition of rock sugar, salt, and cilantro stems.

Helen assembles her signature beef pho using the prepared broth and fresh ingredients.

• Noodles are blanched, and meats are added to the bowl before ladling in the hot broth.
• Garnishes such as scallions, cilantro, and onion are added to complete the dish.