Pho (Vietnamese Noodle Soup)

Name: Pho (Vietnamese Noodle Soup)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Cuisine: Vietnamese, Asian
Ingredients: 1 large white onion, peeled and halved; 3-inch piece of fresh ginger, halved lengthwise; 5 star anise; 4 whole cloves; 3 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks; 2 cardamom pods; 1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds; 8 cups good-quality beef stock (or chicken or vegetable stock); 1 tablespoon brown sugar; 2 teaspoons fish sauce; fine sea salt, to taste; 8 ounces raw steak*, very thinly sliced; 7 ounces uncooked thin rice noodles; garnishes: fresh herbs (cilantro, mint, and/or Thai basil), bean sprouts, lime wedges, thinly-sliced chiles (Thai bird chiles or jalapeños), thinly-sliced onions (green onions or white onions), sauces (hoisin and/or sriracha)