Deliciously uncomposed.
As a cook at a fine dining restaurant, I constantly create composed dishes: food carefully plated to look amazing and—just as importantly—eat well. It’s tempting to try to use that same mindset at home when I’m cooking in my own kitchen. And it’s understandable: in the age of Instagram, we want to be making stunning plates to share on social media. But often that’s just not our day-to-day reality.
Usually we don’t have time to build a full dinner out of three or four separate elements. Sometimes that’s not even what we want. Maybe we’ve had a busy day and we only have time to pull one Tupperware out of the fridge. Maybe we’re exhausted and we don’t feel like a “real” dinner and just want to graze. Whatever the case, we need to be cooking food that we can eat in a variety of ways, depending on how we’re feeling in that moment. These Meatballs with Tomato Kimchi Ragu are just that.
Tender, juicy pork meatballs, rolling in a tangy kimchi and tomato sauce. The natural funk of the kimchi pairs with the tomato’s umami to create an addictive sauce that perfectly complements the richness of the pork. Whether you serve them on rice, toss them into noodles, sandwich them between soft rolls, or just eat them off a fork, one bite of these meatballs and that tangy, spicy sauce will have you going back for more!
When I was dreaming these meatballs, I felt tortured by their simplicity. My restaurant brain kept trying to compose them into a “real dish.” (Why don’t you make them into a meatball sub? Could you serve them over noodles? What about rice?) It was freeing when I realized I didn’t have to do any of that. I didn’t need to build them into a “full dish”; I could just present them as they were—tender juicy meatballs in a tangy, rich tomato sauce—and leave it at that.
As tempting as it is to try to engineer beautifully designed, complicated plates of food, it’s rarely practical—or even desirable. Sometimes we step back from our own expectations and just focus on cooking food that’s yummy. These meatballs are not composed or complex, but I think you’ll agree that they’re definitely that!
Enjoy!
Meatballs in Kimchi Tomato Ragu
(Makes 12 meatballs)
1 slice fresh white bread, torn into 1-inch pieces (about ½ cup)
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce, divided
1 ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided
2 scallions, thinly sliced, plus 3 scallions, white and light green parts separated from dark green parts, thinly sliced, divided
4 garlic cloves, minced, divided
1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and minced, divided
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1 lb ground pork
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 tablespoon gochujang
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups kimchi, chopped
To serve:
Cooked rice noodles or white rice, or toasted white slider buns
Method
For the meatballs, combine bread and ¼ cup water in a large bowl and let sit until the liquid is absorbed. Stir in the egg, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt, then fold in 2 thinly sliced scallions, half the minced ginger, half the minced garlic, all the cilantro and a quarter pound of the ground pork. Mix by hand until the mixture is homogenous, then mix in the rest of the ground pork just until blended. Don’t overmix the mixture; you don’t want large chunks of unmixed ground pork but you don’t want to make the meatballs tough. Roll into twelve 1-inch balls.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy pan over medium high heat. Add meatballs and cook until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Remove from the pan and reserve.
For the kimchi tomato ragu, add the remaining tablespoon oil, white and light green parts of the remaining 3 scallions, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt to the reserved pan and cook over medium heat until tender, 2-3 minutes. Add the remaining garlic and ginger and the gochujang to the pan, and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, kimchi, and remaining 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced by about half.
Add meatballs back to the pan. Return to a simmer if necessary, then simmer for 15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the meatballs registers 165 degrees.
Serve over rice noodles or rice, or in soft toasted buns, topped with sliced green scallions!
Originally posted March 5, 2022.