Vietnamese Recipes

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons nuoc mam (Vietnamese fish sauce)
• 4 teaspoons potato starch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 pounds trimmed boneless beef hind shank
• 4 garlic cloves — crushed
• 1 teaspoon oriental sesame oil

Instructions

1. In a shallow dish, mix the fish sauce, potato starch, baking powder, sugar
   and black pepper. Slice the meat into 1/8-inch-thick pieces. Add to the
   marinade and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or
   overnight.
2. Before proceeding, transfer the meat to the freezer for 30 minutes.
3. Work with half of the beef at a time; do not overload the work bowl. In a
   food processor, combine half of the beef with half of the garlic and
   sesame oil. Process to a completely smooth but stiff paste, about 3
   minutes. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of the work bowl. The
   completed paste should spring back to the touch. Transfer the paste to a
   bowl. Process the remaining beef, garlic and sesame oil the same way.
4. Rub some vegetable oil on one hand. Grab a handful of the meat paste and
   close your hand into a fist, squeezing out a small portion of the mixture,
   about 1 teaspoon, between your thumb and index finger. Keep rolling and
   re-squeezing the same portion between your thumb and index finger until
   you obtain a smooth rounded ball. Scoop out the meatball with an oiled<
   spoon. Repeat until all of the paste is used.
5. Pour 1 inch of water into a wok or wide pot. Place a steamer rack or
   bamboo steamer over the water. Arrange the meatballs without crowding in a
   single layer on the rack. Cover and steam for 5 minutes. Serve as an
   appetizer with chili sauce. These beef balls can also be added to a
   well-seasoned beef broth, sprinkled with chopped scallions and black
   pepper and served as a soup (noodles may be added). These meatballs may be
   frozen. Thaw them thoroughly, then steam or simmer in boiling water until
   just heated through.

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