Wash the beef bones thoroughly. Blanch them in boiling water to remove any odor. Then simmer with sliced ginger and a little salt for about 5 hours. (If you can’t find beef bones, you can use pork bones and simmer for about 50 minutes, but beef is best.) While simmering, keep the heat low, skim off any foam, and leave the pot uncovered.

While the broth is simmering, prep the vegetables: pick the herbs, chop the green onions, mince the garlic, julienne the cucumber, cut the tomato into wedges, and crush the roasted cashews. Slice the beef sirloin thinly. The secret to this dish is the combination of three condiments: chili satay paste, satay sauce (a famous Malaysian-style marinade), and peanut butter.

Sauté the minced garlic until fragrant, then add 5 tablespoons satay sauce, 3 tablespoons peanut butter, and 5 teaspoons chili satay paste. Stir-fry for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat. (If you like your beef rare, stop here. For a more traditional style, add the beef and stir-fry until very tender.)

Pour all the sautéed seasoning mixture into the pot of bone broth and stir well. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Now you have a fragrant pot of Chaozhou Satay broth with a beautiful color!

Quickly blanch the chewy hủ tiếu noodles in boiling water so the broth doesn’t turn sour. (I prefer chewy noodles, but the traditional style uses soft noodles, similar to northern Vietnamese pho noodles.) Dip the beef slices briefly in the hot broth to cook them rare, then add to the bowl.

Add tomato wedges and bean sprouts.

Ladle the hot broth over the noodles. Top with julienned cucumber, chopped green onions, crushed roasted cashews, sliced chili, and a sprinkle of black pepper. Serve with culantro, Thai basil, lime, and chili satay paste on the side. It’s incredibly delicious!