Vietnamese grilled pork meatballs

Kids can eat these meatballs straight from the skewer. Adults can slide them off and wrap them in lettuce leaves, along with slivers of cucumber, shredded carrots and fresh herbs. Serve them with a tangy nuoc cham dipping sauce.

1 tablespoon fish sauce

2 teaspoons light soy sauce

1 large garlic clove, crushed

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) minced (ground) pork

peanut or vegetable oil for brushing

8 iceberg lettuce leaves

1 telegraph (long) cucumber, halved lengthways and sliced diagonally

2 carrots, shredded

2 spring onions (scallions), sliced

1 handful coriander (cilantro) leaves

1 handful Vietnamese mint leaves

nuoc cham dipping sauce to serve

Combine the fish sauce, soy sauce and garlic in a bowl. Add the minced pork and mix with your hands. Form the mixture into about 30 balls, each about 2 cm (¾ in) in diameter. Thread the meatballs onto the pre-soaked skewers and refrigerate for 30 minutes to let them firm up.

Heat a barbecue hotplate or frying pan to medium–high.

Brush the meatballs with a little oil and cook them, turning frequently, for 6–8 minutes, or until browned on all sides and cooked through.

Serve the meatballs with the iceberg lettuce cups, cucumber, carrot, spring onion, coriander and mint, and the nuoc cham dipping sauce.

SERVES 4