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Banh Mi Meatball Bowls

Banh Mi Meatball Bowls reads umami 6.6, salinity 5.7 and funk & ferment 5.5 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Vietnamese main, about 58 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 8.1 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 5.4 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 6.4 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.5 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 4.2 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.3 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 6.6 · Salinity 5.7 · Funk & Ferment 5.5 · Sourness 5.0 · Sweetness 5.0 · Citrus 4.8 · Marine & Briny 4.3 · Richness 3.9 · Allium 3.6 · Herbaceous 2.9 · Heat 2.9 · Warm Spice 1.8 · Earthy 1.4 · Fruity 1.3 · Floral 1.3 · Nutty 0.9 · Bitterness 0.6

What's in it (16)

• steamed jasmine rice — 177 g
• carrots — 120 g
• rice wine vinegar — 67 g
• granulated sugar — 38 g
• salt — 5 g
• pork — 454 g
• bread crumbs italian style — 118 g
• garlic — 12 g
• ginger — 15 g
• fish sauce — 44 g
• vegetable oil — 27 g
• hoisin sauce — 59 g
• lime — 65 g
• mayonnaise — 109 g
• sriracha — 30 g
• cilantro leaves — 30 g

Time & effort: about 58 min (33 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 188.7 kcal, 7.8 g protein, 10.1 g fat, 16.4 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (7 steps)

1. In a small bowl, toss the carrots with 4 tablespoons of the rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Set aside to quick-pickle at room temperature while you cook, at least 20 minutes, stirring once or twice.
2. Combine the rinsed rice with 1 1/2 cups water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
3. While the rice cooks, combine the ground pork, panko, 3 cloves of the minced garlic, ginger, 1 tablespoon of the fish sauce, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Mix gently with your hands just until combined — overmixing makes tough meatballs — then shape into 16 meatballs, about 1 1/2 tablespoons each.
4. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs in a single layer and sear, turning occasionally, until deeply browned on all sides and cooked through, 8-10 minutes (internal temperature 160°F).
5. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the hoisin sauce, the remaining 2 tablespoons fish sauce, the remaining 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar, and the remaining clove of minced garlic to the skillet. Simmer, turning the meatballs to coat, until the sauce reduces to a glossy glaze that clings to the meatballs, 3-4 minutes.
6. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sriracha, and lime juice until smooth; set aside.
7. Drain the pickled carrots. Divide the rice among bowls, top with the glazed meatballs, pickled carrots, and cilantro. Drizzle with the sriracha mayo and serve.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Grilled Pork Vermicelli Bowls (Bun Cha) — Vietnamese
• Drunken Noodles with Chicken (Pad Kee Mao) — Thai
• Dale Taldes Slippery Lemongrass Pork Noodles — Thai
• Mee Rebus (Noodles in Sweet Potato Gravy) — Malaysian
• Snap Pea Chopped Salad With Thai Vinaigrette Recipe — Thai

Keep reading: what umami, salinity, funk & ferment mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.