Jacqui's Food Fetish

This is a really tasty, easy dish that’s great to serve on a hot day, or when you feel like a lighter meal.  I got the original recipe from my friend Christina Soong and I’ve made a few variations to it.  The pork balls are so tasty – I’ve added fresh herbs and cook them in the oven.  Don’t try to get all healthy and use low fat pork mince – your balls will turn out dry – and as I’ve said before, nobody wants dry balls!

INGREDIENTS – BALLS

• 400 grams minced pork
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1.5 teaspoons sugar
• 1 large cloves garlic, minced or chopped very finely
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• Fresh coriander and mint to your liking (around 2 – 4 Tbsp of each), chopped

INGREDIENTS – OTHER

• 1 packet rice vermicelli noodles
• 1 carrot
• 1 cucumber
• Shredded iceberg lettuce
• 1 small bag bean sprouts
• Bunch mint
• Bunch coriander
• Bunch Vietnamese mint

INGREDIENTS – DRESSING

• 2/3 cup water
• 1.5 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1.5 teaspoon caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
• 1 Birds Eye chilli, slice finely

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
2. Mix all ball ingredients until combined and then use your hands to form into 16 small balls and place on a greased baking tray.
3. Place in oven and cook for around 17 – 20 minutes then remove from oven.
4. Cook noodles to pack instructions.
5. Make up the dressing by combining the ingredients in a medium bowl. Taste and adjust flavour as desired, adding more lime for sourness, fish sauce for saltiness and sugar for sweetness etc.
6. Peel and cut cucumber and carrots into matchsticks, and wash and drain bean sprouts and fresh herbs.
7. To serve, divide noodles between four bowls.  Arrange the vegetables and herbs and spoon over the dressing.  Top with four balls each and serve with lime wedges.