Place the pork bones and ground pork in a pot with the onion and rock sugar. Simmer until the meat is tender, about 1 hour over medium-low heat. Skim off any foam to keep the broth clear. Season with salt and MSG to taste. This method keeps the broth light and lets you enjoy the natural sweetness of the fresh meat.

While the bones are simmering, prep the vegetables: rinse the lettuce, bean sprouts, green onions, cilantro, and herbs thoroughly, then soak in diluted salt water for about 20 minutes. Rinse again and drain well. Chop the green onions, cilantro, and culantro for garnish. Cut the limes into wedges and slice the chili pepper.

In a pan, heat the oil or pork fat with the garlic and shallot until fragrant. Add all the remaining sauce ingredients, stir well, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, then adjust seasoning to taste. You can make this sauce ahead and store it in the fridge for up to a month. It’s great for tossing with dry noodles. For a more complex sauce, add water, 2 orange slices, and a small piece of cinnamon stick, and simmer for over an hour. If short on time, the basic version works well too!

Rinse the pork fatback, cut into small pieces, and render in a pan until golden and crispy to make pork cracklings. This crispy topping is essential for authentic dry phở!

For crispy fried shallots: slice the shallots thinly, toss with a little cornstarch, and fry until golden and crisp. For even better results, slice and sun-dry the shallots before frying if you have time.

Marinate the ground pork with two crushed shallots, black pepper, fish sauce, salt, and oyster sauce for 30 minutes. Heat a pan, sauté the remaining shallots until fragrant, then add the marinated pork and stir-fry. Add 1 tablespoon of broth and cook for another 3 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Once all the ingredients are ready, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add a spoonful of oil and some salt. Blanch the rice noodles and bean sprouts, then transfer to a bowl. Toss with the sauce. Top with stir-fried pork, green onions, cilantro, fried shallots, chili, and pork cracklings. Serve with a bowl of broth garnished with green onions, cilantro, and fried shallots. For the best experience, serve with a side of hoisin sauce, chili sauce, and a little chili satay for dipping.