Like everyone else, much of what I cook these days depends on what I can get my hands on both online and at grocery stores. I stop making grocery list, because a lot of times, the ingredient that I need will not be there when I plan to use it. And I’m not talking about flour and yeast (good luck with that), but other pedestrian staples like chicken, pork and tofu. Ground meat (turkey, chicken, beef), on the other hand, is abundant. That’s why chili is always a good choice. Until the store runs out of canned tomatoes and beans.
So here’s a recipe that makes use of everything that is in abundance right now: mushroom meatball. It’s self-explanatory and straightforward. It’s versatile enough to be eaten with pasta, rice or a salad. It also freezes well.
For the record, they are not traditional Vietnamese meatballs, which are pork-based and often steamed, then served in tomato sauce. Mine were born out of the need to combine all of the ingredients I can get from one (or various rounds) of market runs, so I hope these meatballs will inspire you to make your own with your favorite seasoning.
I’ve tried this with beef, pork and a combination of both, and they all worked. Other ground meats will work too, so you’ll get different textures (turkey will definitely be dryer and crumblier) and flavors.
I used to question why some recipes ask you to sauté aromatics before adding to the meat, because in the end you mix everything together and cook them anyway right? Well, I’m happy to report that the extra pan you have to wash is totally worth it. Cooking aromatics (in this case shallots) and mushroom allows us to extract all of their fragrance, sweetness and umami-ness. When combined with the meat (which has been seasoned separately), they will bring in another layer of flavor. Plus, cooking garlic and onion will remove their inherent strong taste, which can come off as unpleasant when you bite into the meatballs.
I used soy sauce and sesame oil for an Asian flair. If you use only pork, swap the soy sauce for fish sauce instead. I found this combination blend very well with cilantro and green onion, but if you don’t have any fresh herbs on hands, feel free to omit. Oregano-cumin-parsley is another pairing I’d recommend.
Bake these meatballs at 425F for 15 minutes at the top rack. Don’t make the same mistake that I did: I left the ones in the photos in the oven a bit too long, so they looked darker than how they should have been.
You can eat these meatballs as is, or make a quick sauce with 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp of the dripping from the meatballs, 1 tsp vinegar and a bird’s eye chili for some extra heat. I served mine with rice, cucumber strips and some mint leaves.
Mushroom meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 shallot thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 100 g mushroom diced
- 500 g medium ground beef
- ⅔ cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 50 g cilantro coarsely chopped
- 50 g green onion thinly sliced
- Generous amount of black pepper
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 425F.
- In a frying pan, saute shallots and garlic until fragrant and add in the mushroom. Season with a pinch of salt and cook until the mushroom softens and shrinks, about 10 minutes. Set aside and let it cool down.
- Combine the remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl and add the mushroom mixture.
- Form the mixture into 2-3 cm balls. You’ll have about 16 balls.
- Bake the meatballs in the pre-heated oven for 15 minutes.
- Serve hot with rice and vegetables of your choice.
