Vietnamese Beef Balls Thit Bo Vien Recipes

Steps:

• In a shallow dish, mix the fish sauce, potato starch, baking powder, sugar and white 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.
• Before proceeding, transfer the meat to the freezer for 30 minutes.
• 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.
• Rub some vegetable oil on one hand, and 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 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, and repeat until all of the paste is used.
• 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 white pepper and served as a soup (noodles may be added).
• Note: These meatballs may be frozen.
• Thaw them thoroughly, then steam or simmer in boiling water until just heated through.

Steps:

• Slice meat thinly; mix with pepper, salt, cornstarch, oil, and baking powder.
• Let meat stand for 1 hour, then place meat in a plastic ziplock bag and set in freezer for 45 minutes, turning each 10 minutes to keep from freezing.
• Remove from freezer and mince very fine in small quantities, or grind in a mortar.
• Boil 2 cups of water in a saucepan, then reduce to a simmer.
• Mix 1 cup of cold water with 1 teaspoon salt; oil your hands, and place about a tablespoonful of meat in your palm and squeeze tightly.
• Dip soup spoon into salty water, then use to lower meatball into boiling water; remove meatballs when they turn white or rise to the surface.
• Repeat method until all meatballs are finished.
• After all the meatballs are done, add 1 quart of water and 1 teaspoon of salt to the water and bring to a boil.
• Skim off the foam.
• Reduce the heat to low, add the beef balls to the stock and simmer for 3-5 minutes.
• To serve, put 5-6 beef balls and some soup in a bowl and sprinkle with some green onions, chopped cilantro, and 1-2 drops of sesame oil.
• Make 3 bowls of dipping sauces for the meatballs: 1 with hoisin sauce, 1 with black bean sauce, and 1 with Sriracha chile sauce and lemongrass stirred together.
• Sip the soup and dip the meatballs into the bowls of dipping sauces.