Authentic home cooking from Vietnam, with US measurements. 
Pork Meatballs in Tomato Sauce (Xiu Mai)
This dish originates from Cantonese cuisine, known as shāomài (sú-mại), and later became popular in Vietnam, especially in Saigon and Da Lat. In Saigon, it's often served with a slightly thick tomato sauce, either dipped with or stuffed into a baguette. In Da Lat, it's served with a lighter sauce, sometimes with cooked pork skin and thinly sliced onions. Today, I'm making xiu mai with a thick sauce—half to eat with bread, half to serve with spaghetti.
The key to success is making meatballs that are firm but not dry, juicy and tender inside, and well infused with the sweet, fragrant tomato sauce.
Pork Meatballs in Tomato Sauce (Xiu Mai)
This dish originates from Cantonese cuisine, known as shāomài (sú-mại), and later became popular in Vietnam, especially in Saigon and Da Lat. In Saigon, it's often served with a slightly thick tomato sauce, either dipped with or stuffed into a baguette. In Da Lat, it's served with a lighter sauce, sometimes with cooked pork skin and thinly sliced onions. Today, I'm making xiu mai with a thick sauce—half to eat with bread, half to serve with spaghetti.
The key to success is making meatballs that are firm but not dry, juicy and tender inside, and well infused with the sweet, fragrant tomato sauce.
Open in Cookpad AppSteps
- 1
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Score the tomato skins lightly, then boil until the skins loosen. Peel the tomatoes, cut them in half, and squeeze out the seeds through a strainer to remove them while keeping the juice. Puree the tomato flesh.
(I started with 2 tomatoes, then added another for more sauce to go with the spaghetti.)
- 2
Puree the tomatoes. Dice the onion, then puree it as well.
- 3
Choose ground pork with a mix of lean and a bit of fat (like pork shoulder or pork butt). Grind until fine, but not as smooth as for Vietnamese grilled pork sausage.
To season the pork: Add 1 large egg, 3 tablespoons cornstarch or potato starch, 2/3 of the pureed onion, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon mild chicken bouillon powder (if your bouillon is salty, use only 1 tablespoon fish sauce).
- 4
Mix the pork mixture well. Take a small amount, fry it, and taste to check the seasoning. The meat should be slightly under-seasoned since it will simmer in the tomato sauce.
Shape the mixture into balls, any size you like. I made them about the size of a ping pong ball and got 25 meatballs.
- 5
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over high heat. Add the meatballs and quickly brown them on all sides, turning them continuously. The goal is to sear the outside for flavor while keeping the inside juicy. Remove the meatballs from the pan.
- 6
Add the remaining onion to the pan and sauté until lightly golden. Add the pureed tomatoes, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 cups water, and 3 tablespoons ketchup. Bring to a boil, then add all the meatballs. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes so the meatballs absorb the tomato sauce.
- 7
If serving with bread, let the sauce thicken a bit more. Since I used half for spaghetti, I turned off the heat at this point. And that's it—xiu mai is ready!
- 8
For spaghetti: Boil the pasta until cooked, then drain.
Add 1 ladle of bottled spaghetti tomato sauce (I used Barilla brand) to a pot. Add 1 ladle of the xiu mai tomato sauce. Add the cooked pasta and toss to combine.
To serve, plate the pasta, top with a few meatballs, and sprinkle with chopped green onions and cilantro. For a richer dish, sprinkle shredded cheese on top and bake the plate in the oven for 10 minutes until the cheese melts.
- 9
Here's the xiu mai with bread!
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