Food Recipes Dinner Meatballs Meet Your New Sunday Sauce: These Pork Meatballs in Cashew Curry Come Together in Under an Hour Be the first to rate & review! Thickened with a touch of cashew flour, this velvety-smooth curry has big flavor. Milk-soaked bread keeps the meatballs light and fluffy. By Bryant Ng Bryant Ng Won Best New Chef at: The Spice Table, Los Angeles Born: 1977; Los Angeles. Education: Le Cordon Bleu, Paris. Experience: La Folie, San Francisco; Campanile and Pizzeria Mozza, Los Angeles; Restaurant Daniel, New York City. Previous career: “Like a good Asian boy, I studied molecular-cell and developmental biology and graduated from UCLA with a degree in business administration. After college, I worked in the biotech and pharmaceutical industry.” How he got into cooking: “When I was growing up, my parents owned a typical Chinese-American restaurant in Los Angeles. I washed dishes and helped in the kitchen. When I realized that I didn’t want to stay in biotech for the rest of my life, I decided to explore cooking. The Paris Le Cordon Bleu had one of the shortest courses, which is what I was looking for. When I walked into the kitchen, it made sense—it came naturally.” Memorable cooking experience: Cooking eggs for his grandparents. “When I was young, they’d stay with us on weekends. The first time I cooked eggs for them, I put the eggs in the pan, then the onions afterward: Of course, the onions were crunchy. So I learned to cook the onions first—it was my first learning experience in the kitchen.” Biggest influences: Chef Nancy Silverton of Pizzeria Mozza. “She has incredible dedication to everything she does and the people she works with. She’s hands-on. She was right next to us when Pizzeria Mozza opened, slicing pizzas.” Pet peeve: Dirty, unfolded kitchen towels. “I don’t know what it is—maybe I’m neurotic. When I see a dirty unfolded towel, it gets to my core. It irks me and grosses me out.” Ingredient obsession: All things lamb. “I’ve been obsessed with lamb recently—the liver, the shoulder, even the head. I’m cooking it whole, making terrines, pâtés. I like lamb that tastes like lamb—when its good, it’s delicate, almost like veal.” Most memorable meal: The Satay Club in Singapore. “Two of my grandparents lived in Singapore; the Satay Club is a hawker center. When I visited as a kid, it had a street-level grimy soulfulness you could only get from eating on the street. All the vendors cooking different foods—the Indian guy making roti, the Malaysian guy making satay—it all still sticks in my mind. Singapore has a crazy-intense humidity, which carries the aromas. It’s a visceral experience that still influences me.” Essential tool: “I have a satay grill. It’s about six feet wide, three feet deep. “When you walk into the restaurant, it’s the first thing you see, which is very intentional. I use almond wood and charcoal—it’s a chef’s dream.” Fantasy splurge: Vietnam. “My wife, Kim, is from Vietnam. She talks about eating in the countryside. In the States, we talk about farm-to-table; in Vietnam, they don’t use that term, but the food is ground-to-table, and they call it dinner. It’s such a different experience than you have in a more developed nation.” Cheap eat: Bonano’s Chicken, a Peruvian restaurant in L.A. “They do pollo a la brasa—a traditional dish of spit-roasted chicken over wood. It’s seasoned and cooked so perfectly, and it’s got the right amount of smoke—not too much or too little. It’s perfect. And the blood-clam ceviche is sweet and briny.” Favorite beer: Anything from Craftsman Brewing Company in Pasadena, California. “Mark Jilg opened Craftsman about 20 years ago. He had worked at jet-propulsion laboratories. Anything he brews is so thoughtful, intelligent and technically sound.” What his next restaurant would be: “I’d open a kind of B&B and just serve lunch. I’d still cook and be creative, but I wouldn’t have to serve hundreds of people a day. Maybe five, and maybe just lunch. It would be nice and comforting.” Food trend he most dislikes: Overuse of the term farm-to-table. “Philosophically, I love it. I practice it, the majority of my colleagues believe in it and practice it. What concerns me is when people just pay lip service to it, or a PR firm gives someone that label.” Favorite cookbook: The Zuni Cafe Cookbook. “I don’t cook this kind of cuisine, but the recipes are so well researched. Some of the techniques are so simple, so intelligent. Judy Rogers is not afraid to go against convention. She talks about stocks and how it’s blasphemous to add salt—then she sprinkles in salt. Now I add salt to my stock.” Twitter hero: Jonathan Gold ( @thejgold). Favorite food-related app: “Recently, Food & Wine’s Best New Chef app. And Chefs Feed [an app that chronicles the places top chefs eat]. It’s a combination of high- and low-end cuisine and you get to see what everyone else is eating.” Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on September 28, 2023 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Rate Print Share Photo: Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Active Time: 40 mins Total Time: 55 mins Yield: 8 servings A rich, velvety curry made with curry powder, fresh ginger, and a hint of pungent fish sauce gets spooned over seared pork meatballs in this simply delicious curry from Bryant Ng, chef and owner of Cassia in Santa Monica. Milk-soaked white bread, known as a panade, forms a paste and is mixed with ground pork to keep the meatballs juicy and tender. The airy pork meatballs rely on pork belly for fattiness and flavor and a panade, a mashed bread and milk paste, for their ultra-soft and tender texture.“The key to a great meatball is the ratio of meat and bread, I love this recipe because the texture is not too soft, like meatloaf, and not too grainy or firm,” says Ng. One of the great things about this recipe is its versatility. “We serve this dish with our clay-oven bread (aka naan) at Cassia,” Ng says, “but it’s also great with rice, tossed with spaghetti (butter, Parmesan, and chopped cilantro), or on a hoagie roll.” Frequently asked questions What is pork belly? Like the name suggests, pork belly is a cut of boneless meat that comes from the belly of a pig. It’s known for its fatty flavor that adds depth to a variety of dishes. Where can I purchase pork belly? You can buy pork belly from most major supermarkets or specialty butcher shops. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Cashew flour, a sweet and nutty gluten-free flour, is available at specialty grocery stores or online at nuts.com. Serve these saucy meatballs with naan bread, spooned over cooked basmati rice, or try it on a hoagie roll. Cooking techniques Applying heat to whole spices helps open up their fragrance and boosts their flavor. The same concept applies here by quickly sauteing store-bought curry powder making it even more aromatic. Suggested pairing We recommend a full-bodied Central Coast Chardonnay like Ancient Peaks Paso Robles to complement the robust flavors of the aromatic curry and airy meatballs. Make ahead Store any leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Ingredients Meatballs 3 (1/2-inch-thick) white bread slices (1 ounce each), crusts removed 1/2 cup whole milk 2 pounds ground pork 8 ounces pork belly, finely chopped 3 medium shallots, finely chopped (about 1 cup) 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 4 teaspoons) 1 small Thai chile, finely chopped 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 2 1/4 teaspoons fish sauce 2 teaspoons white pepper 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder 2 tablespoons canola oil Curry 1 medium-size white onion, roughly chopped (about 2 1/4 cups) 3 garlic cloves 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled 1 tablespoon canola oil 2 tablespoons curry powder 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes (undrained) 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided 2 tablespoons cashew flour (see Note) 1 tablespoon fish sauce 1 tablespoon granulated sugar Kosher salt, to taste 1/3 cup heavy cream Fresh parsley leaves and chopped unsalted raw cashews, for garnish Directions Make the meatballs Combine bread and milk in a shallow baking dish, and let soak 1 minute. Squeeze mixture to form a paste; set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Pulse pork and pork belly in a food processor until finely chopped and well combined, 15 to 18 pulses; transfer mixture to a large bowl. Add bread paste, shallots, garlic, Thai chile, sugar, fish sauce, white pepper, salt, and chili powder, and stir until combined. Divide meat mixture into 1 1/2-ounce portions (about a heaping tablespoon each), and roll into balls. Arrange meatballs on prepared baking sheet. Cover and set aside at room temperature. Make the curry Combine onion, garlic, and ginger in a blender, and process until smooth, about 15 seconds; set aside. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-low; add curry powder, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in onion mixture, diced tomatoes, 5 tablespoons butter, cashew flour, fish sauce, and sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld, about 30 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Meanwhile, cook the meatballs Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Working in batches, cook meatballs, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet, and repeat process with remaining meatballs. Transfer to preheated oven; bake meatballs until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion registers 160°F, about 15 minutes. Divide meatballs among bowls. Stir cream and remaining 2 tablespoons butter into curry. Spoon curry over meatballs, and garnish with parsley and cashews. Originally appeared in Food & Wine magazine, October 2023 Rate It Print