Vietnamese Pork Balls With Hot and Sour Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

For the pork balls

• 500 g ground lean pork
• 3 spring onions, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 stalk lemongrass, finely chopped
• 2 green bird's eye chilies, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon cornflour

For frying

• 1 tablespoon chili oil
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

For the dipping sauce

• 1 tablespoon chili oil
• 50 g onions, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 50 ml chili sauce
• 4 tablespoons tomato ketchup
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons nam pla (Thai fish sauce)
• sweet and sour rice, to serve

Directions

1. 1

   To make the pork balls: place all the ingredients for the pork balls except the egg white and cornflour, into a bowl and mix well.

2. 2

   Add the egg white and cornflour to bind.

3. 3

   Place in the fridge to firm for about 1 hour.

4. 4

   Divide the mixture into 24 equal-sized balls

5. 5

   Heat the chilli oil and olive oil in a frying pan over a high heat.

6. 6

   Add the pork balls and brown on all sides.

7. 7

   Reduce the heat and cook gently for 8-9 minutes until cooked through

8. 8

   Remove from the pan, drain on kitchen paper and keep warm.

9. 9

   To make the dipping sauce: heat the chilli oil in a medium pan and add the onion.

10. 10

    Cook gently until soft and translucent.

11. 11

    Add the brown sugar and the chilli sauce and stir until the sugar has dissolved

12. 12

    Add the ketchup, rice vinegar and Nam Pla and heat through.

13. 13

    Leave to cool.