Pho, that deeply flavored Vietnamese comfort soup, was a dish I always thought best left to professionals. Most traditional recipes I’ve seen involve tons of ingredients, hours of prep work and more hours of long, slow cooking.

Enter my Crock-Pot.

The slow-cooker is ideal for pho, as the low heat lets the flavors intensify, allowing you to skip such steps as roasting bones or vegetables for the broth.

This recipe is adapted from "Slow Cooker Revolution" (America’s Test Kitchen, 2011, $26.95), a book I’d highly recommend for everyone working on their Crock-Pot skills.

Speaking of which, this recipe caps off my monthly series "Slow Ono," local-style dishes for the slow-cooker, a series that launched in January and circled the year. In the process of experimenting, combing cookbooks and exchanging ideas with readers, I’ve made friends with my Crock-Pot, a device that in the past did not always prove dependable. I’m sure our relationship will only deepen, and I will report back on my best discoveries, but not necessarily every month.

A key technique in this recipe is popular with the America’s Test Kitchen editors — it calls for pre-cooking the onions and garlic in the microwave, even though they will simmer for hours in the slow-cooker. This mellows and softens the aromatics, but it is a step you can skip if you find it too fussy.

SLOW-COOKER PHO

2 pounds chuck blade steak
1 teaspoon EACH salt and pepper
8 ounces dry wide rice noodles

» Broth:
2 cups minced onions
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 whole cloves
4 whole star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1 stalk lemongrass
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups beef broth
2 cups water
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar

» Garnishes:
Bean sprouts, basil leaves, lime wedges, cilantro sprigs, Thai hot chili sauce

Combine onions and garlic with oil in bowl. Microwave on high 3 to 5 minutes, until onions are soft.

Wrap cloves, star anise and cinnamon stick in a cheesecloth pouch or place in tea infuser (you may have to break cinnamon stick).

Remove outer skin of lemongrass and cut off tough upper stalk. Mince white part. Place in 6-quart slow-cooker with spice pouch, onion mixture and remaining broth ingredients.

Sprinkle steak on both sides with salt and pepper. Place in slow-cooker. Cook on low about 9 hours, or until meat is very tender. Remove steak from crock and shred, removing any gristle. Add noodles to broth and cook about 15 minutes more, until noodles are tender, but don’t let them get mushy. Return meat to broth and turn off pot. Ladle soup into bowls and serve with garnishes. Serves 8.

Note: If you expect to have leftovers, it is best to cook noodles separately, and just the amount you need. Make fresh noodles when you serve the leftover soup.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving (not including garnishes): 300 calories, 7 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 65 mg cholesterol, greater than 2,000 mg sodium, 33 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 26 g protein