Ingredients
- 1/2 pounds Boneless lean porksuch as loin, trimmed of any gristle or membranes and cut into small dice
- 1/2 cup finely chopped Shallots
- 1/4 cup sliced tops of Green onion
- 3 tablespoons minced Garlic
- 1.6 tablespoon White sugar
- 3 tablespoons Vietnamese fish saucenuocnam
- 1 tablespoon Soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Asian chili-garlic sauce
- 1/2 teaspoons freshly Ground black pepper
- 5 tablespoons Short-grain glutinous ricesuch as sushi rice or Arborio
- 4 ounces Pork fat
- as needed, cubed Vegetable oil
- 6-8 Bamboo skewers
- Mayonnaise
Directions
If you are looking for an authentic Vietnamese meatballs recipe, this is the one.
This dish is easy to prepare and in order to make the most out of it, make sure to use ground pork and follow the exact same instructions.
Sugar is an essential ingredient for adding a sweet and earthy flavor to the meatballs combined with Vietnamese fish sauce.
Featured image:
20120717_3898
by Christine Tea @ flickr
Steps
1 Done | Combine and stir well the pork, shallots, green onion tops, garlic, sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, chili - garlic sauce, and black pepper. Cover the mixture and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight |
2 Done | Transfer the meatball mixture to the freezer until it is partially frozen |
3 Done | In a small skillet, place the rice and heat it over medium-high heat while stirring until the rice is toasted and fragrant. |
4 Done | Transfer the rice to a plate and let it cool. |
5 Done | When the rice has cooled, place it in a food processor and process it until you have a fine rice powder. Then, measure out 3 tablespoons of the powder and set it aside. |
6 Done | Transfer the partially frozen meat mixture to a food processor and process to form a completely smooth but stiff paste. Add the pork fat and process until smooth or finely chopped. |
7 Done | Add the roasted rice powder, and pulse several times to combine the mixture. The mixture should not be sticky. |
8 Done | Preheat a grill to medium-low. |
9 Done | Transfer the meat mixture to a small bowl and oil your hands |
10 Done | Divide the meat mixture and roll each one into a smooth ball, recoating your hands with oil as necessary. |
11 Done | Thread the meatballs onto the bamboo skewers |
12 Done | Coat the grill grate lightly with oil and grill the skewered meatballs for 4 minutes while occasionally turning until cooked through. |
13 Done | Serve warm or at room temperature and add mayonnaise as a dipping sauce. |
