Vietnamese Meatball Bun with Honey-Aleppo Nuoc Cham
Jalapeños are the most popular chile peppers in the US. This is probably due to the availability and versatility of the chile. Jalapeños have a balanced combination of flavor and heat. The demand for these have caused breeders to develop a broad range of varieties.
Makes: about 4 servings
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
1 lb ground beef or pork
3 T minced lemongrass
3 T basil, finely chopped
2 T fish sauce
2 T coconut sugar
1 T soy sauce
1 T sriracha
1 T sesame oil
3 cloves minced garlic
For the Nuoc Cham:
¼ cup water
1 T fish sauce
1 T honey
1 T rice vinegar
dash sesame oil
½ tsp aleppo pepper
For serving:
3-4 bundles of bún (rice vermicelli) or any thin-to-medium rice noodle
1 english cucumber
1-2 medium carrots
mung bean sprouts
jalapeno, basil + cilantro
Instructions:
Preheat broiler. Bring large pot of water to boil and cook noodles according to package directions.
Meanwhile, combine all meatball ingredients and shape into bite-sized meatballs (about 20). Arrange meatballs on a broiler pan or rimmed baking sheet and broil 5-7 mins, until cooked through and browned on top. Remove and allow to cool slightly.
While meatballs cook and cool, whisk together nuoc cham ingredients and set aside. Halve cucumber and scrape out seeds, then slice into thin strips. Peel carrots, then continue to use peeler to pare carrots into long, narrow strips. Wash and dry herbs. Thinly slice jalapeno.
Rinse cooked noodles under warm water to remove excess starch and drain briefly. Divide noodles among bowls; top with meatballs, carrots, bean sprouts, jalapenos and herbs. Just before serving, dress bowls with nuoc cham. Enjoy!
From thepigandquill.com