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Thai meat balls and cabbage

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We had ground beef and cabbage that needed to be eaten. So we thought: Thai meat balls! We had all the sauces but didn't have the fresh mint and basil, which really would have been better and more Thai than parsley in the meatballs. Still this was tasty for a quick meal that used up an odd assortment of ingredients in the fridge.

Next time: Get those fresh herbs. Try other veg besides cabbage, which was fine but something else might be better. Not sure what yet.

Our Thai friend recommends the following brands for sauces: Squid brand fish sauce, Healthy Boy brand soy sauce and Healthy Boy brand sweet chili sauce (called 'chicken sauce' by Thais, though it's used on a number of dishes). We found them at a local Chinese market.

These are the sauces we use, and they are great. When we can't find Healthy Boy soy sauce, we use Pearl River, which is also nice. Also: we always use light soy sauce - dark soy sauce should only be used for colour, not flavour.

Meatballs:
625g ground beef
2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
1/2 head garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1/2 c fresh parsley (much better to use fresh mint and basil)
ground black pepper
3 Tbsp veg oil

Mix those ingredients (except veg oil) together in a bowl. Form balls. Heat oil in wok or skillet. Fry meatballs for about 6 minutes, stirring so they are brown and crispy on all sides.

Cabbage:
1/2 head green cabbage, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp rice wine
1 Tbsp fish sauce
2 fresh tomatoes, cut in wedges

Remove meatballs from wok. Fry cabbage in all that's left in wok - oil, meat juice, ginger and garlic bits. Stir fry for about 5 minutes. Taste it. If it's not tender, add 1 or 2 Tbsp water, cover and let cook for about 5 minutes, or until tender.

When cabbage is done, toss meatballs with cabbage in wok to warm them. Then add the fresh tomatoes, and toss so they get warm. Serve with soy sauce, Thai sweet chili sauce, and rice or noodles.
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