Chili Lemongrass Meatballs

Name: Chili Lemongrass Meatballs
Yield: ~ 24 meatballs
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2.5 pounds ground pork; 2 teaspoons oil for sweating aromatics; 1/2 cup minced onion; 1/2 cup minced shallots; 3 Tablespoons minced garlic; 2-3 Tablespoons minced chili of your choice (I used serranos this time); 1/4 cup very finely chopped lemongrass (just the white ends); 1 large egg; zest of 1 lime; 3-4 Tablespoons finely chopped cilantro; 2.5 Tablespoons fish sauce; 1 Tablespoon sugar; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 1-2 Tablespoons oil, depending on how fatty your ground pork is, for the meatball mix; 2 Tablespoons oil for rolling meatballs

x @cook_5886383

These meatballs are tasty as appetizers, as the protein in a fresh Southeast Asian style roll or noodle salad, in a hot noodle soup, or atop a rice bowl with some fresh veg and/or pickles to accompany.

I used ground pork, but you can use ground beef or chicken, or a combination, if you like.

x @cook_5886383

I used ground pork, but you can use ground beef or chicken, or a combination, if you like.

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Ingredients

~ 24 meatballs

2.5 poundsground pork
2 teaspoonsoil for sweating aromatics
1/2 cupminced onion
1/2 cupminced shallots
3 Tablespoonsminced garlic
2-3 Tablespoonsminced chili of your choice (I used serranos this time)
1/4 cupvery finely chopped lemongrass (just the white ends)
1large egg
zest of 1 lime
3-4 Tablespoonsfinely chopped cilantro
2.5 Tablespoonsfish sauce
1 Tablespoonsugar
1/2 teaspoonblack pepper
1-2 Tablespoonsoil, depending on how fatty your ground pork is, for the meatball mix
2 Tablespoonsoil for rolling meatballs

Saved

Steps

1

Sweat the onion, shallots, garlic, chilies, and lemongrass in the 2 teaspoons oil in a pre-heated medium pan for 4 minutes or so, or until the onions are translucent.
2

Preheat oven to 450F.
3

Combine all of the rest of the ingredients with the sweated onions, etc. in a large mixing bowl, and massage all ingredients together until they are just evenly incorporated.
4

Line a sheetpan or cookie sheet with foil, and lightly oil the foil.
5

Lightly oil your hands and form roughly 1 ¾” meatballs, placing them at least 1.5 inches away from the next meatball in your sheetpan or cookie sheet. The oil not only helps to keep the meatball mixture from sticking to your hands, but it helps the meatball sear more quickly, therefore retaining the juices.
6

Place the sheetpan in the oven so that the top of the meatballs is about 4 inches away from the top heat element. (Usually either the first or second rack in most ovens.) Bake for 13 minutes.
7

Then turn the oven to broil and broil an additional minute to two minutes to achieve desired browning on top.
8

Enjoy! :)