Vietnamese Meatballs (Xiu Mai)

Step 1

Remove the jicama skin using a vegetable peeler. Finely dice the jicama.

Step 2

Cut off the white (root) portion of the green onions and finely chop. Chop the green onion stems. Transfer the green onion stems into a small bowl and set aside for later.

Step 3

In a medium bowl, add the ground pork, jicama, green onion (white) root, garlic, fish sauce, corn starch and ground black pepper. Mix together by hand combining all of the ingredients well. Combine just until everything sticks together. Avoid over-working the meat mixture as this will make the meatballs tough.

Step 4

Using a tablespoon, scoop out some of the meat mixture and transfer to a large plate. Continue making small mounds until all the meat mixture is used. Wet your palms with water to prevent sticking. Gently roll each of the mounds into a ball.

Step 5

Chop the tomatoes.

Step 6

Heat a large skillet over Medium High heat and when hot add vegetable oil. Add the minced garlic and tomato paste. Stir fry for 15-20 seconds. Add the chopped tomatoes and combine together. Add the sugar, fish sauce and water. Stir together combining the ingredients. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to Medium Low, cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes.

Step 7

Make room in the center of the skillet by pushing the tomatoes to the side. Gently transfer the meatballs into the sauce. Cover and cook on Medium Low heat for 5 minutes. After this time, rotate the meatballs and cook for another 5 minutes.

Step 8

To make the thickener, mix the corn starch and water until smooth. Add to the sauce. Combine gently and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes. Top with ground black pepper.

Step 9

To serve, transfer a few meatballs into a small bowl along with a generous amount of tomato sauce. Top with the chopped green onion stems. Enjoy these scrumptious Vietnamese Meatballs with crusty bread.