Vietnamese Pork Meatball Banh Mi Fried Rice

PreparationTo make the do chua: Combine the daikon and carrot on a colander set in the sink. Sprinkle with salt, and massage the vegetables until they’re bendable and have expelled their liquid. In a medium bowl, combine the vinegar, water, and sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the carrot and daikon, pressing to make sure the vegetables are mostly submerged. Cover and refrigerate at least an hour before using, and up to several weeks. To make the meatballs: In a food processor, combine the lemongrass, garlic, and green onions. Pulse until finely chopped. Add the fish sauce, sriracha, salt, and pork; pulse until just combined. (Alternatively, you can very finely chop the lemongrass, garlic, and green onions by hand or use a mortar and pestle, then mix with the remaining ingredients. Filling can be made several days ahead and refrigerated.) Roll the meat mixture into heaping teaspoon-size meatballs (alternatively, you can roll just half into meatballs and use a combination of ground pork and meatballs in the fried rice). To make the fried rice: Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. (If you rolled only half the mixture into meatballs, now sauté the ground pork in the pan until cooked through, then transfer to the plate.) Add the green onions and sauté until browned, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and sauté until warmed through and softened, then continue sautéing until the rice seems firm again, about 3 minutes. Add the meatballs and cook until warmed through. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, fish sauce, and sriracha. Drizzle the mixture over the rice and stir until evenly coated. Divide fried rice among plates and top with do chua (drained), cilantro, and sliced jalapeño. Excerpted from Fried Rice: 50 Ways to Stir Up the World's Favorite Grain © 2019 by By Danielle Centoni. Reproduced by permission of Sasquatch Books. All rights reserved. Buy the full book from Amazon.

PreparationTo make the do chua: Combine the daikon and carrot on a colander set in the sink. Sprinkle with salt, and massage the vegetables until they’re bendable and have expelled their liquid. In a medium bowl, combine the vinegar, water, and sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the carrot and daikon, pressing to make sure the vegetables are mostly submerged. Cover and refrigerate at least an hour before using, and up to several weeks. To make the meatballs: In a food processor, combine the lemongrass, garlic, and green onions. Pulse until finely chopped. Add the fish sauce, sriracha, salt, and pork; pulse until just combined. (Alternatively, you can very finely chop the lemongrass, garlic, and green onions by hand or use a mortar and pestle, then mix with the remaining ingredients. Filling can be made several days ahead and refrigerated.) Roll the meat mixture into heaping teaspoon-size meatballs (alternatively, you can roll just half into meatballs and use a combination of ground pork and meatballs in the fried rice). To make the fried rice: Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. (If you rolled only half the mixture into meatballs, now sauté the ground pork in the pan until cooked through, then transfer to the plate.) Add the green onions and sauté until browned, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and sauté until warmed through and softened, then continue sautéing until the rice seems firm again, about 3 minutes. Add the meatballs and cook until warmed through. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, fish sauce, and sriracha. Drizzle the mixture over the rice and stir until evenly coated. Divide fried rice among plates and top with do chua (drained), cilantro, and sliced jalapeño. Excerpted from Fried Rice: 50 Ways to Stir Up the World's Favorite Grain © 2019 by By Danielle Centoni. Reproduced by permission of Sasquatch Books. All rights reserved. Buy the full book from Amazon.