How to make Da Lat-style meatball soup

Da Lat's shumai meatballs delight by combining sweet, tender meat with crisp vegetables, all immersed in a fragrant broth - a cherished favorite for both locals and visitors.

This recipe serves 3-4 people, takes approximately 90 minutes to prepare, and provides around 2,000 calories in total.

Ingredients:

- 400 grams of ground collar pork

- 10 salted egg yolks. If salted eggs are unavailable, boiled quail eggs can be a substitute.

- 4 tomatoes

- 1 set of chicken bones or 400 grams of pork bones

- 100 grams of pork skin

- 1/2 cassava (Cassava ensures natural crispiness and sweetness in the meatballs.)

- 1/2 onion

- Garlic, shallots

- Herbs: Coriander, scallions

- Spices: Fish sauce, salt, sugar, stock powder, pepper, ketchup, sesame oil, white wine

- Tapioca starch or corn starch

- 4 loaves of bread

Instructions:

1. Preparation

- Marinate the collar pork with 2 teaspoons of fish sauce, half a teaspoon of sugar, half a teaspoon of stock powder, half a teaspoon of pepper, and minced shallot. Opt for pork collar with a bit of fat for juicy meatballs. Allow it to marinate for 15-20 minutes.

- Wash salted egg yolks with white wine and brush with sesame oil. Depending on your preference, you can either cut the yolks in half or leave them whole.

- Cut the cassava into small pieces, then either steam or blanch it. Afterward, you should press or squeeze out any excess water from the cassava.

- Clean the pork skin thoroughly, eliminate any remaining hairs and then boil it.

- After boiling, take about half of the skin and cut it into small pieces. The remaining half should be cut into bite-sized pieces and added to the broth.

- Take half of a crusty loaf and tear it into pieces.

- Peel the carrots and then chop them into small pieces.

- Chop the onion, garlic and shallots into small pieces.

- Combine the marinated meat with cassava, pork skin, carrots, onions, and half of the minced garlic in a large bowl.

- Add tapioca starch (or cornstarch) and half a teaspoon of salt, then mix them until it becomes smooth.

- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up the mixture.

- Once removed, shape the mixture into small, round balls.

- Press a salted egg into the middle, gently squeeze the balls, compressing them tightly while ensuring to leave a space at the top for aesthetic appeal.

2. Cooking process

For the meatballs:

- Bring the steamer to a boil, then place the salted egg shumai inside and steam them for approximately 15 minutes.

- As the shumai cooks, the salted egg in the center will change to an opaque yellow color. The mention of a lighter color indicates that the shumai balls are fully cooked.

For the bone broth:

- Place the bones in a pot with 5 liters of water and 1 tablespoon of salt.

- Bring the water to a boil on high heat.

- Once boiling, remove any foam that forms on the surface.

- Reduce the heat to low, allowing the water to simmer gently for about 1 hour.

- Remove the bones and discard any remaining residue.

For the sauce:

- Sauté the remaining onion and garlic, then add chopped tomatoes and 2 tablespoons of ketchup for a vibrant color.

- Add a bit of salt to hasten the softening of the tomatoes.

- Pour the filtered broth to cover the surface, along with adding the remaining half of the pork skin.

- Adjust the seasoning to your taste.

- If a thicker broth is desired, add 2 tablespoons of tapioca starch with water, gradually bringing it to a rolling boil while stirring well. This process helps achieve the desired thickness in the broth.

- Add the meatballs back into the pot of broth and bring it to a boil again.

- Once boiling, scoop the meatballs into a bowl.

- Sprinkle a little pepper and herbs on top, and enjoy the dish with hot, crispy bread.

Finished product:

The dish offers sweetness from the meat, crunchiness from the vegetables, richness from the broth, and chewiness from the pork skin.