Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Meatball "Vermicelli" Bowls

My favorite thing to order at our local Vietnamese restaurant is bún chả, a bowl of vermicelli topped with pickled vegetables, peanuts, and grilled sliced pork or pork meatballs, served with a generous bowl of nước chấm (sweet fish sauce) on the side. This paleo version hits all the right notes without refined sugar, legumes, or actual vermicelli--the noodles are spaghetti squash instead! I'm not always a fan of swapping spaghetti squash for regular noodles, but it really works in this dish. There are so many flavors and textures intermingling that the squash flies almost completely under the radar.

The star of this bowl is the caramelized pork meatballs, which are by far the best meatballs I've ever made. Last time I attempted Vietnamese pork it was delicious, but nowhere near as good as what I've had in restaurants. I wasn't sure how to get that unique flavor--the one that's at once almost too sweet and almost too savory, but actually just perfect. Then, while doing a little online research, I came across this recipe from Saveur, which involved a very surprising step.

I never would have tried the technique advised in the recipe if it hadn't come from such a trusted source, because it sounds totally ridiculous. Luckily enough for me and you, though, I did try it, and it was just the ticket. Buckle your seat belts, folks, because we are going to MAKE CARAMEL and put it in the meatballs.

Yup.

THAT is what I mean by "caramelized".

A quick caramel sauce plus a good dose of Red Boat fish sauce is all these meatballs need to become the umami-packed superstars of your dinner. I modified the caramel to make it paleo-friendly: it's made mostly with honey, with just a tad of raw or coconut sugar added in. After the caramel, fish sauce, and ground pork are mixed together, the meatballs cook quickly under the broiler. They develop a wonderful char thanks to--you guessed it--the caramel.

To round out the meal we have julienned carrots and cucumber, fresh cilantro, toasted cashews, and sauce. The sauce has the same sweet-and-savory flavor as the meatballs, but with some tang thanks to the rice vinegar and fresh-squeezed lime juice. Sliced red chiles and scallions float on top of the sauce and make it look like a real celebration.

This recipe does have several steps, but it's so worth it! You can roast the spaghetti squash up to four days in advance and stash the noodles in the fridge--just reheat before serving. You can also form the meatballs earlier in the day and let them marinate in the refrigerator before broiling or grilling them. With a little advance planning, this dinner can be a snap!

Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Meatball "Vermicelli" Bowls
Yield: 4-6 servings
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients (meatballs and sauce adapted from Saveur):

For the bowls:

2 large spaghetti squash
1 large carrot, peeled and julienned or spiralized
1 large seedless cucumber, peeled and julienned or spiralized
1/4 cup toasted, chopped cashews
Sprigs of fresh cilantro and/or Thai basil

For the meatballs:

3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon raw or coconut sugar
3 tablespoons Red Boat fish sauce
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 pounds ground pork
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
White parts of 2 scallions, finely minced

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons Red Boat fish sauce
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons raw or coconut sugar
Juice of half a lime
Green parts of 2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 long red hot chile pepper, deseeded if desired, thinly sliced*

*I like the long red chiles pictured in these photos because they are less spicy than the tiny red Thai chiles, but you can use any chile you like (or omit it if you're spice-averse). Asian markets have a good selection of chiles, but you can also use minced jalapeño in a pinch!

Preheat the oven to 400. Cut each spaghetti squash in half crosswise and scoop out the seeds and pulp with a spoon. Place the halves cut side down in a roasting pan and pour in enough water to fill the pan about 1/4-inch deep. Roast for 30-45 minutes, or until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork. Set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, use a fork to pull out the squash noodles.

While the squash is roasting, get started on the meatballs. Mix the honey, sugar, and 1/3 cup water in a medium saucepan. Set the heat to medium-high and stir gently just until most of the sugar is dissolved. Let the mixture come to a boil undisturbed and cook for about 10 minutes without stirring, or until the syrup is a darker shade of amber and smells slightly burnt. Turn off the heat and stir in the fish sauce. Let the caramel cool for at least 15 minutes, so it is warm but no longer hot.

To make the sauce, mix the fish sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and lime juice in a large bowl. Add 1 cup warm water and stir until the sugar dissolves. Transfer about 1/4 cup of the sauce to a medium bowl, add the carrots and cucumber, and toss to coat. Add the scallions and chiles to the large bowl of sauce.

Preheat the broiler or grill. If using the broiler, line a large baking sheet with foil.

Stir the baking soda into the warm caramel until no lumps remain (it will bubble and froth). Put the pork, pepper, garlic, and scallions in a large mixing bowl. Pour in the caramel. Knead thoroughly with your hands until the mixture is uniform. Form meatballs about the size of golf balls and place them in a single layer on the baking sheet.

Broil for about 5 minutes, until charred on top. Remove the pan and carefully flip the meatballs over. Broil for 5 more minutes, until charred on the second side and cooked through. (Cut open one meatball to check for doneness. If the meatballs are still pink in the center, place them in the oven for 5-10 minutes. Even though the oven if off, the residual heat from the broiler will finish cooking them.)

Divide the squash noodles between 4-6 serving bowls. Top with meatballs, carrots and cucumber, cilantro or basil, and toasted cashews. Serve the sauce on the side so each person can spoon on their desired amount.

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