Peal and halve the onions. Bring the beef stock to boil, add half of the onions and the braising beef and simmer on low heat for about 2 hours. Scoop off the fat and froth from the soup. 

Cut the ginger in thick slices. Blaze the onion, ginger, star anise, cinnamon sticks and cardamom pods in a hot (grill) pan to release more flavours. To speed up the blaze you can add a small dash of oil. Put the star anise, cinnamon sticks and cardamom pods in a tea bag. Add the tea bag and the other blazed ingredients to the soup and simmer for an additional 2 hours.

Take the meat out of the soup. Season the soup with the sugar and fish sauce. Let the pho simmer for additional time, up to hours. The longer the simmering, the more flavour the pho will get. Cut the boiled beef in strips. Fry the steak very short on a hot pan, let it rest and slice.

Prepare the noodles according to the instructions. Peal and slice the onion in thin rings. Blanche the bean sprouts for about 10 seconds in boiling water and cool down immediately. Cut the lime in wedges. Distribute the onion rings, bean sprouts and lime over a plate. Pour the hoisin sauce and hot chili sauce in small bowls and also place on the plate. Chop the spring onions.

Divide the noodles between soup bowls. Place both types of beef on top of that. Pour in the pho soup and sprinkle with spring onions. Serve the soup together with the garnish plate, such that everyone can flavour their own pho.