In a pot, add a little water and place a bamboo steamer on top or a stainless steel steamer, like the one you have. It is essential that the water does not touch the food in the steamer, so that they cook only in steam, preserving their juiciness and flavors. Shape the meatballs to the desired size, about 4 cm in diameter, and place them in the steamer, being careful not to overlap them.
Once the water in the pot starts to boil, reduce the temperature to low and place the meatballs in the stainless steel steamer. I managed to fit four meatballs at once. Cover the pot with a lid, placing a folded paper towel between the lid and the pot to ensure optimal sealing. This will help keep the steam in and allow the meatballs to cook evenly. Let them steam for 15 minutes without lifting the lid, so as not to lose steam.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce on another burner. Mix the sauce ingredients in a saucepan and let them simmer on low heat. When the meatballs are ready, take them out of the steamer and transfer them to the saucepan with the sauce. It is important for the sauce to be as thick as possible, so let them simmer together for another 25 minutes. Depending on your preferences, you can leave them for less time, but make sure the meatballs are well coated with the flavorful sauce.
In the end, you will get tender meatballs, full of flavor, enveloped in a delicious sauce, perfect to be served alongside a side of rice or mashed potatoes. This recipe will not only delight your taste buds but will also bring a touch of warmth to your meals. Bon appétit!
Ingredients
for the meatballs: 400-500 g ground pork 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped (I used a bit of garlic powder) 2 Asian shallots (red Asian shallot - as per the recipe, I used red onion from the 'green' type with leaves, meaning spring onion) 1 small can of water chestnuts (water chestnut = 220g) or 1/2 jicama, diced (optional in the original recipe, so optional for me too, I didn't have it, don't know what it is, and didn't add it, but jicama is mentioned on the original site as being replaceable with a bit of breadcrumbs) 1 egg 2 teaspoons of sugar (I didn't add it because it was related to the fish sauce in my opinion, and since I didn't use it, I don't know if I would have added sugar to the meat) 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of fish sauce (I didn't add it) salt to taste 1 teaspoon of ground pepper. The tomato sauce: 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped (I put them whole and when they flavored the sauce, I removed and discarded them) 4 tablespoons of tomato paste (I only used about 2 but of triple concentrated tomatoes) 2 firm tomatoes, chopped as finely as possible 2 cups of water (or as needed, I didn't measure the water) salt 1 teaspoon of fish sauce (which I also didn't add here) 1 teaspoon of sugar (I didn't add sugar either because it was linked to the fish sauce, it was said one without the other) * I also added 2-3 tablespoons of ready-made tomato sauce like the one used for pasta. It can be served with bread or rice.