Pork meatball num pang recipe
The num pang is the Cambodian version of bánh mì, or is it the other way around? The answer is probably that they developed around the same time, since both countries were part of French Indochina, formed in Cambodia and Vietnam in 1887. Kroeung, an important aromatic paste in Cambodian cuisine, is used as the foundation of many dishes. There are actually five versions. This yellow variant includes fresh turmeric, which brings not only its colour to the pork, but the root’s unique earthiness too.
Ingredients
For the meatballs- 500 g minced (ground) pork
- 1 × 3cm (1½in) square thin slice of dried shrimp paste
- 2 tbsp vegetable or groundnut oil
- 3 lemongrass stalks, hard outer layers removed and tender part thinly sliced
- 2 banana shallots, peeled and finely chopped
- 50 g galangal, peeled and finely chopped
- 30 g fresh turmeric, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 head of garlic, cloves finely chopped
- 10 fresh lime leaves, ribs removed and finely shredded
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 250 g fennel bulbs, trimmed and sliced thinly lengthways (save any frilly tops for garnishing the sandwich)
- 1 tsp salt
- 50 g caster (superfine) sugar
- 150 ml rice vinegar
- 150 ml hot tap water
- 2 tbsp unsalted peanuts
- 4 baguettes
- 4 tbsp mayonnaise, mixed with ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 handful Thai basil leaves
- 1 handful Vietnamese coriander (cilantro) or mint leaves
- 1 handful coriander (cilantro) leaves and tender stems
- 1 green chilli, thinly sliced
Details
- Cuisine: Cambodian
- Recipe Type: Pork
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 20 mins
- Cooking Time: 15 mins
- Serves: 4
Step-by-step
- Sprinkle the fennel with the salt and massage gently with your hands for about 2 minutes, until it is soft and pliable.
- Combine the caster (superfine) sugar with the rice vinegar and hot water in a bowl and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
- Pour this liquid over the fennel and set aside for 1 hour (the pickles will keep in a jar in the fridge for a few weeks).
- Make the kroeung paste by toasting the shrimp paste in a dry pan over a medium heat until dark on all sides – about 15 minutes. It’s ready when you can snap it in half easily, like a biscuit. Crush it to a powder in a pestle and mortar.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, then add everything except the shrimp paste and fish sauce. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring until just beginning to brown, then add the shrimp powder and cook for a further minute or so.
- Add everything to a blender with the fish sauce and blend to a coarse paste.
- Lightly toast the peanuts for the baguettes in a dry pan (taking care not to burn them). Allow to cool, then smash to a coarse powder in a pestle and mortar. Set aside.
- Prepare the barbecue for direct cooking over medium heat.
- Combine the kroeung with the minced (ground) pork in a bowl and mix really well.
- Divide the mixture evenly into 16 balls and flatten each one slightly into a patty.
- Grill over direct heat on the barbecue for about 10 minutes turning with tongs, until they’ve built up a good caramelised crust on the outside and are cooked through.
- Spread each baguette with mayonnaise, then add some of the meatballs, pickled fennel, herbs and chilli, and top with plenty of peanut powder. Eat immediately.
To cook indoors: Fry the meatballs in neutral oil in a pan over a medium heat for 5 minutes on each side, until cooked through.
This recipe is from Live Fire by Helen Graves (Hardie Grant, £26). Photography ©Rob Billington.
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