Bakso

Bakso (Indonesian Beef Meatball Noodle Soup)

The classic Indonesian street-cart soup: springy hand-rolled beef meatballs in a clear garlic-and-beef broth, served over rice vermicelli with greens, fried shallots and a sweet soy-chilli drizzle.

Prep

40 min

Cook

120 min

Total

160 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1.1 lb) beef chuck or shank, cut into 3 cm pieces, plus bones if available for a richer broth
• •1 whole beef knuckle bone (optional), adds body and a slight gelatinous quality to the broth
• •2.5 L (2½ qt) cold water
• •30 g (¼ cup) garlic, roughly smashed
• •1 tbsp whole white peppercorns, lightly cracked
• •1 tbsp salt, plus more to taste
• •400 g (14 oz) lean beef (for meatballs), roughly chopped, use a fattier cut (e.g. chuck) for a more tender, bouncy meatball
• •200 g (7 oz) beef tendon or beef fat, roughly chopped, optional but traditional; the key to springy, cart-style bakso
• •2 tbsp cornstarch or tapioca starch
• •1 tsp baking powder
• •1 tsp salt, for the meatball mix
• •2 cloves garlic, grated to a paste
• •1 tsp ground white pepper
• •4 g (1 tsp) ice water, very cold, add a few tablespoons at a time while blending
• •200 g (7 oz) rice vermicelli (bihun), soaked in warm water until pliable
• •1 head (1 small head) baby bok choy or sawi hijau (Chinese mustard greens), trimmed; blanched in the broth at serving
• •60 g (½ cup) fried shallots (bawang goreng), to garnish
• •1 stalk celery, leaves only, optional, very Indonesian garnish
• •60 ml (¼ cup) kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), for the table
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) sambal or fresh chilli sauce, for the table
• •1 whole lime, cut into wedges, for the table

Steps

1. 1 Make the broth: place beef pieces, bone (if using) and 2.5 L cold water in a large pot. Bring slowly to a simmer, skimming any grey foam that rises for the first 10 minutes.
2. 2 Add smashed garlic, cracked white peppercorns and 1 tbsp salt. Simmer uncovered for 90 minutes, partially covered, until the broth is lightly golden and the beef is very tender. Strain and reserve both the broth and the boiled beef. Skim excess fat if you like a lighter soup.
3. 3 While the broth simmers, make the meatballs: cut the lean beef and tendon/fat into 2 cm cubes and freeze for 20–30 minutes until firm around the edges (this helps the proteins bind and gives the bouncy texture).
4. 4 Working in batches, blend the semi-frozen beef, tendon, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, garlic paste and white pepper in a food processor. Blend, drizzling in 2–3 tbsp ice water, until the mixture is tacky, very smooth and almost paste-like, about 3–4 minutes total. To check: pinch a small amount and drop into a cup of hot water; it should hold its shape and feel springy.
5. 5 With wet hands, squeeze a walnut-sized ball of the meat mixture through your thumb (or a small cookie scoop), flicking it off into a bowl of cold water. Repeat until all the mixture is used; you should have 35–40 meatballs.
6. 6 Bring a separate pot of water to a gentle simmer (do not boil hard or the meatballs will be tough). Lower the meatballs in and simmer 8–10 minutes, until they float and feel firm and bouncy. Drain and set aside.
7. 7 Soak the rice vermicelli in warm water for 10 minutes, then drain. Trim the greens and cut into 5 cm lengths.
8. 8 Shred the reserved boiled beef into bite-sized pieces.
9. 9 Taste the broth and adjust salt. Bring it back to a rolling boil.
10. 10 Assemble each bowl: a generous handful of rice vermicelli, a small pile of greens (blanch briefly in the broth first if you like them wilted), several meatballs, some shredded beef, and a sprinkle of fried shallots and celery leaves.
11. 11 Ladle the hot broth over everything. Serve immediately with kecap manis, sambal and lime wedges on the table so each diner seasons their own bowl.