Bakso (Indonesian Beef Meatball Soup)

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 3 tbsp tapioca starch
• 3 whole garlic cloves
• 2 whole shallots
• ¾ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp white pepper
• 3 tbsp ice water
• 8 cups beef or chicken stock
• 4 whole garlic cloves
• 3 whole shallots
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger
• 3 whole candlenuts or macadamia nuts
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 2 whole whole star anise
• 3 whole whole cloves
• 2 whole bay leaves
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp white pepper
• 8 oz fresh egg noodles or ramen noodles
• 3 whole scallions
• ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
• ¼ cup fried shallots
• 2 tbsp sambal oelek (Indonesian chili paste)
• 1 whole lime

Instructions

1. 1

   Peel 3 garlic cloves and 2 shallots. Finely mince them together until almost paste-like — use a mortar and pestle or food processor. In a large bowl, combine 1 lb ground beef, 3 tbsp tapioca starch, the minced garlic and shallots, 0.75 tsp salt, and 0.25 tsp white pepper.

2. 2

   Add 3 tbsp ice water to the mixture. Using your hands, gently mix until just combined — do not overmix or the meatballs will become tough and dense. The texture should be slightly sticky but moldable.

3. 3

   Fill a large pot with 8 cups of beef or chicken stock and bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce to medium so the broth stays at a steady simmer.

4. 4

   Using a 1-inch ice cream scoop or two moistened spoons, form the beef mixture into compact balls and carefully drop them one at a time into the simmering broth. Work in batches so you don't crowd the pot — the meatballs will sink at first, then float to the surface as they cook through, about 8-10 minutes total. They're done when they're light and springy to the touch and no longer pink inside.

5. 5

   While the meatballs cook, prepare the aromatics for the broth: peel 4 garlic cloves and 3 shallots, then bruise them lightly with the flat of a knife — this releases their oils. Peel a 1-inch piece of fresh ginger with a spoon and slice it into thin coins.

6. 6

   In a mortar and pestle, grind together 3 candlenuts (or macadamia nuts as a substitute), 0.5 tsp ground turmeric, 2 whole star anise, and 3 whole cloves until you have a fragrant paste. If you don't have candlenuts, simply grind the spices together and skip the nut component.

7. 7

   Once all meatballs are in the pot and floating, add the bruised garlic, shallots, ginger slices, the spice paste, 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp salt, and 0.25 tsp white pepper to the broth. Stir gently to distribute the aromatics and bring back to a gentle simmer.

8. 8

   Simmer the broth for 12-15 minutes until it's fragrant and the flavors have melded — you should smell warm spices and ginger. Taste the broth and adjust salt if needed. Remove from heat and keep warm.

9. 9

   Bring a separate pot of salted water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add 8 oz fresh egg noodles or ramen noodles and cook until just tender, following package directions — usually 3-4 minutes for fresh noodles. Drain in a colander and rinse quickly with cool water to stop the cooking.

10. 10

    Divide the cooked noodles among four bowls. Ladle the hot broth with meatballs over the noodles, making sure each bowl gets several meatballs and plenty of fragrant broth.

11. 11

    Slice 3 scallions on the bias into thin pieces. Top each bowl with a handful of scallions, 2 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves, 1 tbsp fried shallots for crunch, and a dollop of sambal oelek on the side for heat. Cut 1 lime into wedges and serve alongside for squeezing over.

Tools you’ll need

• large pot (12-quart minimum)
• large mixing bowl
• mortar and pestle
• food processor (optional)
• 1-inch ice cream scoop or two spoons
• colander
• ladle
• chef's knife
• cutting board

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