Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground pork
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 ½ tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 ½ teaspoons potato starch
  • 1 tablespoon bottled fish sauce (nuoc mam)
  • Vegetable oil for greasing the hands
  • 2 small heads Boston lettuce, cored, with leaves separated

    Four to six servings as an appetizer

    Preparation

    1. In a bowl, mix the pork, pepper, garlic, sugar, cornstarch and potato starch and fish sauce. Marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
    2. Preheat a grill or broiler. With oiled hands, make 21 meatballs, each about 1 inch in diameter. (The mixture may be a bit loose.) If grilling, place 3 meatballs on each of 7 bamboo skewers. If broiling, place on a baking sheet or broiler pan. Grill or broil until the meatballs are deep brown and crisp on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from skewers.
    3. Serve the hot meatballs with the lettuce leaves and nuoc cham dipping sauce (see recipe).
    • Vietnamese ingredients can be bought at specialty food stores or by mail order from K. Kalustyan, 123 Lexington Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016; (212) 685-3451.

    Dining and Cooking