Xiu Mai (Vietnamese Pork Meatballs in Tomato Sauce)

Ingredients

• 500 g ground pork
• 1 onion, half grated and half finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely minced
• 5 garlic, minced
• 3 tomato, chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp white sugar
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 spring onion, thinly sliced
• 300 g white rice
• 6¼ dl water
• 1 baguette
• salt to taste

Method

1. 1.

   Mix the pork filling — Put the ground pork in a bowl with the grated half of the onion, the minced carrot, half the garlic, 1 tbsp of the fish sauce, the sugar, black pepper and cornstarch. Knead firmly for two to three minutes until the mixture turns tacky and clings to your hand.

2. 2.

   Chill the mixture — Cover the bowl and chill for 20 minutes. The cold firms up the fat so the meatballs hold their shape in the pan instead of collapsing.

3. 3.

   Roll and brown the meatballs — With wet hands, roll the mixture into 16 balls the size of a walnut. Heat the oil in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat and brown them on two sides, about 4 minutes in total, then lift them onto a plate. They will finish cooking in the sauce.

4. 4.

   Build the tomato sauce — In the same pan, soften the chopped onion and the remaining garlic for two minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and let it fry until it darkens to brick red, then add the chopped tomatoes and crush them down with the back of a spoon.

5. 5.

   Simmer the meatballs — Pour in 120 ml of the water with the remaining fish sauce and a little salt, and return the meatballs along with any juices. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 15 minutes, turning them once, until the sauce is glossy and just coats them.

6. 6.

   Steam the rice — Meanwhile, rinse the rice until the water runs clear, bring it to a boil with the remaining 500 ml water, then cover and cook on the lowest heat for 12 minutes. Leave the lid on off the heat for another 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

7. 7.

   Pack the boxes — Scatter the spring onions over the meatballs and taste the sauce for salt. Pack them over the hot rice in lunch boxes, or serve straight from the pan with a length of baguette for mopping up the sauce.