Kinder Surprise!

 

Vietnamese Meatballs 

AKA XÍU MẠI 

 

This is no ordinary Xui Main recipe, I call this a Vietnamese kinder surprise! 

The surprise ingredient is a fresh quail egg inside! Serve with crusty bread on the side or make your own Banh Mi with all your favourite toppings.

I adapted this from my besties recipe. Thank you for sharing Hau! 

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 45 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

Meatballs:

• 500g x pork mince (not too lean) 
• 1/2 x medium red / Spanish onion, finely grated/puréed
• 1 x clove garlic, crushed/finely minced 
• 1 x tsp fish sauce 
• 12 x fresh quail eggs, boiled and peeled (or canned eggs, see note)

Sauce:

• 1/2 x medium red / Spanish onion, finely grated/puréed
• 3 x cloves garlic, crushed/finely minced 
• 3 x Tbs tomato paste 
• 2 x 400g canned cherry tomatoes / or baby Romas 
• 1/2 cup chicken stock (or chicken stock cube / powder mixed with hot water) 
• 1 x Tbs fish sauce 
• 1 tsp sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Garnishes: coriander, cucumber, Vietnamese herbs, fresh chilli 

Serving suggestions: serve with crusty bread on the side or make banh mi roll! 

STEPS:

Sauce:

1. In a medium size pot, on medium heat add small amount of oil and sauté onion, garlic tomato paste until soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes, stock, fish sauce and sugar and bring to boil. Turn down he’s to low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

 

Meatballs

1. In a mixing add mince, onion, garlic, fish sauce. Using your hands combine ingredients together being careful not to overwork the mixture (guide no more than 10 seconds). 
2. Divide mixture into 12 (about golf ball size). Flatten the meat into your palm, then case it around a quail egg. NB: You can use a bit of oil around the mixture so it doesn’t stick to your palms. 
3. In a medium size sauté pan, add oil and pan fry the meat balls a few minutes on each side until golden and sealed (meat won’t be cooked yet at this stage). 
4. Pour prepared sauce over the top of the meatballs and bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer on gentle heat for 15-20 minutes until meatballs are cooked through and sauce is rich and thickened
5. Serve with bread & garnishes and enjoy! 

LisaDiepCooks Notes:

• Quail eggs: fresh is best! Can be found at local Asian grocer or farmers market. Alternatively use canned eggs. This is an optional step and its not required traditionally.
• How to boil quail eggs: add eggs to boiling water and boil for 5 mins for hard boiled. Once ready plunge in icy cold water to stop cooking process and make it easier to peel. 
• Optional fillings: my friend Hau also fills her meatballs with chestnuts & shiitake mushrooms for added texture and flavour! 
• Mince mixture: don’t overwork the meat otherwise you’ll end up with a tough meatball, you want it to be tender & juicy. 
• Leftovers: freezes well! Perfect to make a large batch for later. 
• Serving suggestions: make your own Banh Mi, or serve with crusty bread on the side.