March 22, 2024
Ingredients
• 1 – 1½ C for minced pork
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled
• ½ t salt
• 1 small green chilli (not bird’s eye chilli)
• ¾ – 1 t for stock powder
• 1 sprig young guava leaves (optional)
• 3 T mint
• 3 T sawtooth herb, finger-width cluster, chopped
• 3 small spring onion plants, whites and greens, chopped
• 3 T Vietnamese mint, finger-width bunch, chopped or 3 small coriander plants, stalk and green, chopped (use if no Vietnamese mint)
• 1 T pig or duck blood (or substitute 1 tablespoon egg yolk)
• 1 C hot water
Serves four as part of a Lao meal
Method
1. Pound the garlic, chilli, salt and instant stock together with a pestle and mortar for a minute. Add the herbs, and then pound the mixture together until thoroughly blended. Add the minced pork and pound again for at least 5 minutes. Pounding breaks down the meat fibres and makes for light meat balls which stick together. Taste and add more salt if needed. Add the duck blood or egg yolk and mix together.
2. Put the hot water in a small pot. Roll pieces of mixture into 2 cm (¾ in) balls. Place them in the water as the balls are rolled. This stops the balls from breaking up. Set the pot on the fire, cover and simmer for up to 15 minutes until the meat balls are cooked through. Top up with water if the water level gets too low and the meat balls start to stick to the pot.
3. Remove the pot from the heat. Transfer the meat balls to a bowl and serve.
4. Accompany with sawtooth herb jeow, steamed vegetables, sticky rice and Akha chicken soup.
Information by Food from Northern Laos (The Boat Landing Cookbook)
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