START TO FINISH: 35 minutes
SERVINGS: 4
Savory pork meatballs and jasmine rice give this Thai soup heft, but its aromatic broth—made with plenty of shallots, garlic, lemon grass and ginger—has excellent flavor on its own. The soup is a sort of blank canvas for garnishes. Lime wedges and chili-garlic sauce are a start; another option is soft- or hard-cooked eggs, peeled and halved lengthwise.
Don’t skip refrigerating the meatballs; chilling helps them hold together in the soup.
8 ounces ground pork
3 tablespoons fish sauce, divided, plus more to serve
2 tablespoons chili-garlic sauce, divided, plus more to serve
Kosher salt and ground white pepper
3 tablespoons lard or refined coconut oil
5 large shallots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
8 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 lemon grass stalks, trimmed to bottom 6 inches, dry outer leaves discarded, smashed
2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
2½ quarts low-sodium chicken broth
4 cups cooked jasmine rice
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons lime juice, plus lime wedges, to serve
In a medium bowl, mix the pork, 1 tablespoon of the fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of the chili-garlic sauce and ¾ teaspoon white pepper. Form into 20 meatballs (about 2 teaspoons each). Place on a large plate and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, heat the lard until shimmering. Add the shallots and ½ teaspoon salt, then cook, stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the lemon grass and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the broth and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits, then reduce to medium and simmer, uncovered, until the flavors blend, about 15 minutes.
Remove and discard the lemon grass. Add the meatballs, stir gently and simmer over medium until just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons fish sauce, the remaining 1 tablespoon chili-garlic sauce, the remaining 1 teaspoon white pepper, the cilantro and lime juice. Ladle into bowls and serve with chili-garlic sauce and lime wedges.