Vietnamese Pork Meatballs

 

This recipe makes for a perfect weeknight dinner. Prep and cooking time will clock in at less than 30 minutes. Use the meatballs as a crowning touch on top of a bowl of sticky rice...with some lime slices...and you are good to go for a culinary trip to Saigon.

Using Ritz crackers instead of breadcrumbs is an elegant touch. Just toss your 12 crackers in a zip lock bag and crush them up. If you want a dipping sauce you can toss together some nuoc cham. Or, as recipe author Kay Chun recommends, just combine 1/4 cup of mayonnaise with 2 teaspoons of soy sauce. This recipe yields 4 servings.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons ginger, minced

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

12 finely crushed Ritz crackers

1 pound ground pork

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425º.
2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well by hand.
3. Shape meat into 12 golf-ball-size rounds and arrange on a sheet pan.
4. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve.

Wine pairing: Zinfandel