Sop Bakso  

Meatballs

1 lb finely ground pork *

4 cloves garlic, crushed & minced

1 egg

¼ cup tapioca flour (or rice flour)

1 tsp salt

A couple or three pinches of fresh ground pepper, preferably white.

*sub chicken, beef or lamb depending on which gods you’re afraid of.

Soup

2 cloves garlic, crushed & chopped

2 shallots, or green onions, sliced

4 Thai, Cayenne or red Serrano chiles, sliced

1 tbs palm, or light brown, sugar

Salt to taste

1 lb. rice noodles (cook ahead according to package)

2 cups fresh baby spinach, or shredded Nappa cabbage

2 cups bean sprouts

Fried Shallots for garnish

Kecap Manis (Indonesian Sweet Soy Sauce) optional

1. If you can grind the pork finely with the garlic at home – cool! (Or you can pulse them together in a food processor. Or you can ask the meat guy you buy it from to grind it finely then mix in the garlic at home). Mix in the egg well then add flour, salt and pepper until you have a nice sticky mixture.

2. Boil 8 cups of water. Keeping your hands wet w/ cold water, or greased w/ oil, roll little meatballs and drop them in the water. Cook for about 5 minutes and remove.

3. Add garlic, shallots, ½ the sliced chiles and palm sugar. Simmer for 10 minutes then season with salt.

To Serve: Drop some noodles, spinach & sprouts in bowls. Ladle hot soup over it. Garnish with fried shallots and extra sliced chiles. If you want to, and if ya got some, you can drizzle Kecap Manis into the soup. It can be found in Asian markets.