Bun Cha And Monopoly

fresh herbs: thai basil, mint, cilantro 

On Sunday night we did something very odd for Hong Kong, we actually went to a friends house for a pot luck. Everyone always seems meet and eat out in HK the apartments are so tiny, there's never much room to have friends over. So it was nice to go to a friends for a change we all sat around the coffee table on cushions from the couch. I decided to experiment and make a Vietnamese dish called bun cha which is pork meat balls with rice noodles, fresh herbs which you wrap up in lettuce leaves like a taco and eat.

James and Megan made fresh guacamole and papaya salsa and salad. And Caitlin and Emma brought strawberries and ice cream. And after dinner we had a very serious game of monopoly, next Sunday the competition will continue with bowling! yikes

ingredients for in the meat balls

Meat balls
600 grams minced pork
1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup shallots, minced
2 Tablespoons spring onions, minced
1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
4 kaffir lime leaves, minced

minced shallots, garlic, lime leafs, spring onions

1. Mince shallots, garlic, kaffir lime leaves and spring onions.
2. Mix minced ingredients with minced pork, throw meat mixture against inside of bowl (this helps the meat balls stay together better)
3. Form meat balls, about 2cm in diameter

meat balls before cooking

4. Cook in frying pan at medium heat for around 6-7 minutes turning occasionally.

Vietnamese pork meat balls with kaffir lime leaves

Serve with 
400 gram rice vermicelli
Fresh basil
Fresh mint
Fresh cilantro (coriander)
Lettuce

Cooking vermicelli
1. Boil water
2. Put vermicelli in bowl, pour boiling water over vermicelli.
3. Let stand for 5 minutes and drain water.

To eat grab a large lettuce leaf, put some rice vermicelli, herbs and meat balls on top of lettuce. dip in sweet and sour sauce. Enjoy.

Sweet and sour sauce
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1 Tablespoon white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon nuoc mam (Vietnamese fish sauce)
2 Tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon chill, minced (use less or more chilli depending on how spicy you would like the sauce)

1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Dip lettuce leaf rolls in.

enjoying dinner around the coffee table