Boil10 cups water. Burn the whole fresh onions over high heat until goldenbrown. Add beef spareribs or ox tail into the boiling water. Skim whilecooking to make a clear broth. Add browned onion and carrots after 1hour of boiling. Cook another hour. Then remove meat and vegetable.Strain the bouillon, season it with spices, salt, fish sause asindicated and keep boiling to server very hot soup. Add boiled water,if necessary, to have 6-8 cups of bouillon. This broth is very spicyand a little salty.

Slicetender beef finely and cooked beef coarsely. Soak dry rice noodles inhot water 10 minutes before cooking. Coolk rice noodles sparately untildone (about 10-15 minutes), drain in hot water to remove the starch.

Server at once into bowl.

Beefsoup, rare: cooked rice noodles 1/3 bowl, raw beef minced on top. Pourover them one cup boiling bouillon. Add bib lettuce, green onion andonion rings.

Beefsoup, done: cooked rice noodles, cooked beef, bib lettuce, onion rings,green onion in top. Pour over all ingredients 1 cup boiling bouillon.

Provide the guests with spoons and chopstichs to take the soup.