Meat balls with rakyyo, coriander and cumin

Credit is to the book "Marriage of snack and alcohol". 

This dish might seem bland to those who prefer saltier flavors. It's essentially meatballs simmered in tomato sauce. I've always found that anything in tomato sauce doesn't seem to have enough flavor to entice me, perhaps due to the quality of the tomatoes or other ingredients. However, the dish I want to share today is exceptionally special and savory, guaranteed to put a smile on even the most selective eaters' faces.

I have made this dish twice, and I notice that if I add a little more salt than described in the recipe, it turns out much better. Anyway, below is the full recipe:

Preparation (for 2 people): 

• Minced pork (300-320gr)
• Japanese pickled shallots or Rakkyo (10-15 pieces) (an alternative is Vietnamese kieu muoi).
• Coriander (1 package)
• Cumin (2 tbsp)
• Tomato (1 big or 2 medium or 10 small)
• Onion (1/2 piece)
• Garlic (2-3 pieces)

Step 1: Mix pork with 1/2-3/4 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. 

Step 2: Finely chop Rakkyo and coriander. Note that some coriander leaves must be reserved for decoration later, so don't chop it all.

Step 3: Add the chopped Rakkyo, coriander and 1 tbsp of cumin seeds into the pork mixture in Step 1. Mix them all well. Then, make the pork into round balls. I usually apply a little oil in my palm so that the balls won't get sticky in this step.

Step 4: Put a sauce pan over medium-high heat (I use an electric stove so it heats up slowly, but if using an induction or gas stove it will be very quick). While waiting for the sauce pan to get hot, finely chop garlic and dice onion and tomato. 

Step 5: Lower the heat to medium and add 1 tbsp of olive oil. Since the pan is already hot, this oil will burn very quickly, so you can add garlic to the pan after just a few seconds. When the garlic gets fragrant, add onion and stir for 2 minutes. Then, add tomato, 1 tbsp of cumin seeds and 1/2 tsp of salt. Stir them well. 

Step 6: When the tomato is soft, add the meat balls in Step 5 into the sauce pan. Cover with a lid and simmer over medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Turn the balls from time to time.

Step 7: Scoop the sauce first and pour it evenly into a deep plate, then gently put each ball o to the sauce. Garmish with coriander leaves on top. Dish out.

The creativity of this dish lies at the addition of Rakkyo, coriander and cumin seeds in the mixture with minced pork. The contrast among the sourness and sweetness of Rakkyo, the warm earthiness of cumin seeds, the unique fresh fragrance of coriander, the tangy umami-rich flavor of tomato sauce and the greasy yet sweet nature of pork minced brings a genuine pleasure to the palate.