Thit bo vien (beef balls)

Yield: 60 Servings

Ingredients:

5 tb Nuoc mam (vietnamese fish sa -uce)
4 ts Potato starch
1 ts Baking powder
1 ts Sugar granulated
1 ts Pepper black ground
2 lb Trimmed boneless beef hind s -hank
4 Garlic cloves; crushed
1 ts Oriental sesame oil

Instructions:

Vegetable oil for shaping m -eatballs In a shallow dish mix the fish sauce potato starch baking powder sugar and black pepper. Slice the meat into 1/8-inch-thick pieces. Add to the mari- nade and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Before proceeding transfer the meat to the freezer for 30 minutes. Work with half of the beef at a time; do not overload the work bowl. In a food processor combine half of the beef with half of the garlic and sesame oil. Process to a completely smooth but stiff paste about 3 minutes. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of the work bowl. The completed paste should spring back to the touch. Transfer the paste to a bowl. Process the remaining beef garlic and sesame oil the same way. Rub some vegetable oil on one hand. Grab a handful of the meat paste and close your hand into a fist squeezing out a small portion of the mixture about 1 teaspoon between your thumb and index finger. Keep rolling and resqueezing the same portion between your thumb and index finger until you obtain a smooth rounded ball. Scoop out the meatball with an oiled spoon. Repeat until all of the paste is used. Pour 1 inch of water into a wok or wide pot. Place a steamer rack or bamboo steamer over the water. Arrange the meatballs without crowding in a single layer on the rack. Cover and steam for 5 minutes. Serve as an appetizer with chili sauce. These beef balls can also be added to a well-seasoned beef broth sprinkled with chopped scallions and black pepper and served as a soup (noodles may be added). Note: These meatballs may be frozen. Thaw them thoroughly then steam or simmer in boiling water until just heated through. Yield: about 60 meatballs.