Banh Mi Meatballs

I’ve been on an Asian dinner recipes repeat lately—they’re just the perfect flavor for late August when those tomatoes, corn and zucchinis feel a bit of a rut. Nothing against them, but there’s only that many tomato salads one can eat. Also I have been thinking of our trips to the balmy tropics of Thailand and Vietnam and the magnificent food we ate there when travel was simpler. Anyway these meatballs were one of my favorite foods in Vietnam. They’re so flavorful and packed with fresh lemongrass, zesty chillies, salty fish sauce, and plenty of verdant herbs. Topped them fresh veggies like carrots, cucumber pickled veggies, bean sprouts over a bed of flavorful scallion rice, not quiet authentic, but makes one heck of a tasty meal.

Banh Mi Rice Bowls makes 4-5 servings

For the Meatballs:

• 1 pound ground turkey or chicken 
• 1 tablespoon lemongrass paste, optional but recommended
• 3 scallions white and green parts, minced
• 1 inch minced ginger
• 3 large garlic cloves grated or minced
• 2 teaspoons lime juice and one teaspoon lime zest
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt only if needed as fish sauce is quiet salty
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil 

For Nuoc Cham dressing:

• 3 tablespoons  fish sauce
• 2-5 birds eye chili, minced, or as many or little as you like or use Asian style chili-garlic sauce like Sambal Olek, about 2 tablespoons
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar or raw sugar
• ¼ cup lime juice plus more for garish
• 2-3 small cloves  minced garlic

Scallion Rice 

• 2 cups cooked rice or other grain of your choice
• 4 scallions finely chopped, white and green parts but not the very top
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon any neutral oil
• Recipe for the scallion fried rice is here.

Toppings

• 2-3 about 1/2 cup thinly sliced Persian or English cucumber
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced radishes
• ½ -1 cup pickled carrots and radish, optional
• Handful of fresh herbs (cilantro, mint, Thai basil)
• 1 cup bean sprouts, optional but recommended 
• Soft romaine lettuce optional
• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts chopped optional

Instructions

1. In a mixing bowl, add the turkey mince or your choice of meat, lemongrass, chopped cilantro, scallions, garlic, fish sauce, sugar, salt, black pepper and lime zest.
2. Mix with a spatula or your hands until thoroughly combined, then keep vigorously stirring until the mixture turns soft and sticky, about 30 seconds.
3. Using lightly moistened hands, roll the mixture into 1 1/2 tablespoon-sized balls, placing them on the prepared baking sheet. You should end up with about 20-22 meatballs.
4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, or up to a day.
5. Remove from the refrigerator, brush or spray the meatballs lightly with oil.
6. Pan fry or bake until meatballs are lightly golden and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Flipping them if you’re frying so they cook evenly and browned nicely.
7. Make the Nuoc Cham: while the meatballs are cooking, stir together the fish sauce, sugar, lime juice and sambal oelek or any chili-garlic sauce. Taste and adjust the flavor if needed.
8. Assemble the bowls : place 3-5 meatballs over rice, and garnish with carrot and daikon pickles and cucumber, radish, and other veggies of your choice. Top with a few fresh herbs and some toasted peanuts. Drizzle over a little dressing and serve with extra dressing on the side and lime slices for squeezing.