Serves 30
80 min
Charles Phan's Vietnamese Meatballs
Recipe GLPR50f497e42bbb65
Tender, juicy grilled meatballs with a delicate paste made from ground pork belly enriched with pork fat, baking powder for lift, and aromatic green onions, shallots, and garlic. This authentic Vietnamese recipe uses fish sauce and white pepper for depth, then grills the meatballs until firm and cooked through. Perfect as an appetizer or main course.
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Ingredients
1 pound ground pork belly
⅛ cup pork back fat
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ tablespoon water
½ tablespoon fish sauce
½ tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
¼ teaspoon pink curing salt
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon green onions
1 tablespoon shallots
½ tablespoon garlic, minced
canola oil for coating hands
Directions
Prepare your grill for medium-heat cooking, using either charcoal or gas.
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small pot over medium-high heat. Add the pork back fat and simmer for about 10 minutes until fully rendered and cooked through. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, then finely chop or mince the fat.
In a small bowl, mix the baking powder with 1/2 tablespoon of water until combined.
Place the ground pork belly, cooked and chopped pork fat, fish sauce, sugar, baking powder mixture, white pepper, pink curing salt, and kosher salt into a food processor. Pulse and blend until the mixture becomes a smooth, sticky paste with a springy texture, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the green onions, shallots, and minced garlic to the food processor and pulse a few more times until they are evenly incorporated throughout the paste.
Transfer the paste to a large bowl. Lightly coat your palms with canola oil to prevent the mixture from sticking.
Using oiled hands, scoop out portions of the paste and roll into balls approximately 1 inch in diameter. Arrange the meatballs on a serving platter as you work. You should yield 25 to 30 meatballs.
Place the meatballs on the preheated grill over medium heat. Grill for 8 to 9 minutes, turning occasionally, until the meatballs are completely cooked through and feel firm to the touch. The internal temperature should reach 160°F for food safety.
Remove the meatballs from the grill and serve warm.
