Thai Style Pork Meatballs w.Broth
Cook Time: ~20 Minutes
Anything with chilli, broth, and meat or fish, is a winner in my book. These dishes tend to be great winter warmers as the cold nights set in and can be a great light meal for those evenings when you are looking for something deeply satisfying but not too heavy. I call dishes like these mood uplifters because they have that effect on me. Perhaps it’s the chilli, but whenever I consume a dish like this, I get an overwhelming sense of warmth & nourishment. I have listed this recipe as serving two individuals as one of the ‘main’ meals of the day. But this could also be served as a light starter between four.
Serves: 2
Time: ~20 Minutes
Information - What you require
Ingredients
• Pork mince (500g)
• Tenderstem broccoli (200g)
• Sugar snap peas (200g)
• Coconut milk (400ml)
• Spring onions
• Birds’ eye chilli (as many as you like)
• 1x Large chilli (garnish)
• Garlic cloves (2 or 3)
• Stick of lemongrass
• 1x Lime
• Bunch of coriander
• Fish sauce (2 & 1/2 tsp)
• Coconut oil
• Soy Sauce (2 tbsp)
• Ground black pepper & salt
Optional Ingredients & Notes
• Vegetables: You may use alternative vegetables but make sure they are of the crunchy variety. Baby corn and pak choi are welcome substitutes or additions and soften at the same speed as tender-stem broccoli & sugar snap peas.
• Chilli: The dish requires heat, but you can tone it down (or up) according to your spice tolerance. I would add that the large chilli tends to have less heat and is more of a garnish, so if you are not a fan of heat, reduce the number of small birds’ eye chillis.
• Coconut Oil: If you don’t have coconut oil, vegetable oil can be used instead.
• Lemon Grass: One stalk of lemongrass is an option here. I would bash the stalk with the back of a knife, and add it to the broth at the stage the coconut milk is poured into the pan. I’d highly recommend it if you can find the ingredient.
Equipment
• Medium frying pan
• Food processor or Pestle & Mortar
• Medium-sized bowl
Mise En Place - Food preparation
Take about 4-5 spring onions and separate the white and green flesh; and then thinly slice both. The white flesh is for garnish, the green is for a paste. Remove the stalks from your coriander, cut them finely, and place the leaves (garnish) to the side. Thinly slice your bird’s eye chilli and your larger chilli (keeping them separate). Peel and thinly slice your garlic. I use three cloves here because I love garlic. Take your lime and slice it into quarters. Throw your pork mince into a bowl with a generous helping of salt and ground black pepper and form into 12-16 meatballs; don’t worry about their shape, but try to make each a roughly equal size to ensure they cook evenly. You may also measure out your 2 & 1/2 teaspoons of fish sauce and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, and set aside.
Cooking Process
The first thing we want to do is create a green paste that will form the base of our coconut milk broth. This can be done using a food processor or a pestle & mortar. The former should create a smoother paste, but as you can see (below) I couldn’t be bothered hand washing a food processor on this occasion and opted to use the pestle & mortar. For this, take your bird’s eye chilli, garlic, the green flesh of your spring onions, and coriander stalks and place them into the processor or mortar with a splash of water and the juice from a quarter of a lime. Blend (or grind) until you have either a fine smooth paste or a more rustic one like mine. Leave it aside.
On medium heat, add some coconut oil to your pan. I like to use coconut oil here as I feel it marries well with the Thai ingredients and infuses with the pork. Once melted, gently add your meatballs. The objective here is to cook them until they begin to turn golden brown. Don’t rush this part (we want moisture) and ensure you turn the meatballs regularly to avoid burning. This may take anywhere between 6 and 8 minutes. Once browned, season them once more, and set them aside to rest on a chopping board.
Lowering the heat of your pan, add your green paste and spread it around the centre of your pan. There should be enough meatball fat or leftover coconut oil to prevent sticking. Gently cook and stir the paste for ~2 minutes, ensuring it doesn’t bubble. The fragrance of the paste should become more pungent as it cooks. After 2 minutes, pour in your coconut milk, mix the two together and bring to a simmer (a stick of lemon grass would be a welcome ingredient at this stage).
Once the broth is simmering, add your broccoli and sugar snap peas and gently reintroduce your meatballs to the pan. Cook the broth for ~4 minutes, or until the vegetables become tender. Season with fish sauce and soy sauce. To serve, place a few ladles of broth into a bowl, followed by your vegetables and meatballs. Sprinkle the white flesh of the spring onions, some coriander leaves, and your sliced big chilli. If you feel your bowl requires more oomph, I recommend sparingly seasoning with additional fish sauce as the saltiness will bring out more flavours.
If you do attempt this dish, please let me know how it goes, and if you variate the recipe in any way. Also, this newsletter relies upon word of mouth, so if you feel you know someone who would enjoy this publication please share it.
Thanks for reading,
Conor