Thick Noodle Soup with Pork Hock - Banh Canh Gio Heo - Helen Le

Place the pork hock and bones in a large pot filled with enough water to cover. Add some salt and vinegar. Boil for 10 minutes until the impurities rise to the top. Then dump out the whole pot and wash the pot clean. Rinse the hock and bones well under warm water to remove all the dirt. Return the hock and bones to a clean pot and fill with enough water to cover. Add 2 slices ginger and 1 peeled onion. (You can slightly char them for better aroma). Also add 1 tbsp salt and rock sugar. Bring to a boil and cook on low heat for 1 hour until the pork hock is tender. You can use a pressure cooker to save time. It takes about 15-30 minutes depending on the pressure cooker and the size of the pork hock. Remove the pork hock and soak in ice cold water to avoid blackening. Then drain and slice into bite-sized pieces. You can remove the bones as well, or just leave them in the soup if you want to gnaw.Add salt, fish sauce and chicken stock to season the broth to your taste. Add fried shallots, too. You can either add the banh canh noodle directly into the soup pot, or cook it separately and divide into the serving bowls. Ladle the soup / noodle soup into serving bowls. Top with sliced pork hock and chopped herbs. Add color/annatto oil.