A great line stimulating the scenario below....

Ngo: "Well, old Bessie's on her last legs, and it's time....."

Ba: "We'll slaughter her tomorrow, the meat for the Legion, the bones for the broth, and the tendons to finish the Pho!"

Agree on garnishes, generally, the sprouts being a heretical innovation, but spring onions, cilantro (a bunch) and sliced green chillis/chiles/Serrano work fine, another of those imports from the Americas, required. In memory tendon was the principal "meat" component of low priced Pho for the revenue-impaired.

Without Nuoc Mam, is life really worth living?