Pho a Little Variation

I promise I will get off the Pho kick sometime soon, but not just yet. This variation has nothing to do with authenticity but I wanted to do it, and it turned out exceptionally well.

Nigel Slater is one of my favorite food writers and if you have never heard of him go right now and buy his book Appetite, a stellar cookbook equally interesting and workable for the novice or pro. In it he has a recipe for spicy pork meat balls with pancetta which I have adapted.

a handful of smoked bacon or pancetta
1lb minced pork
groundnut oil

For the seasoning:

2 shallots or 4 small spring onions
3 or 4 small, hot, red chillies
a small bunch of cilantro
4 lime leaves or 2 thick stalks of lemon grass (available at most Asian markets)
3 or 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

“Chop the shallots or spring onions finely, then chop the chillies even finer, first removing the seeds if you don’t like things too hot. Scrub the roots of the coriander and chop them and the leaves finely, discarding the stems. Roll the lime leaves up and shred them finely, then chop them; if you are using lemon grass, discard the coarse outer leaves, then chop the tender inside leaves very thinly. All this can be done in a food processor.

Chop the bacon or pancetta and add it, with the seasoning above, to the minced pork. Mix in a good pinch of salt, then cover with clingfilm (otherwise it will taint everything in your fridge) and leave to rest and chill for half an hour or more.

Shape the seasoned pork into small balls. The size is up to you. If you flatten them slightly you will get more of that delectable savoury crust when you fry them. I tend to start with a ball of mince the size of a walnut in its shell, then flatten it slightly. To cook them, you will need to warm a little oil in a heavy frying pan, then lay the meatballs in – without crowding them – and let them color enticingly on both sides before turning the heat down a bit and letting them cook all the way through. You should find them done after four or five minutes. Test one by breaking it open: the center should be juicy but not especially pink.”

I obtained the ground pork from Cibola Farms in Culpepper, VA.  They raise hogs in addition to Bison and it is all humanely raised and free range.

Spicy, Juicy Meatball Pho

Add the meatballs to your Pho as you would flank steak, and season as normal.

Drink: This time I enjoyed it with an Eggenberg Pilsner. I love this Austrian beer, really clean and fresh, not too hoppy and it lets the flavors of the food shine through.