Moo Deng Recipe – Thai Bouncy Pork Meatballs

Revealed: Sep 29, 2024 by Pailin Chongchitnant · This submit might comprise affiliate hyperlinks

Who would’ve thought that eventually an lovable Thai infant hippo named Moo Deng would flip into a world sensation? Nonetheless correct proper right here we’re. As you might know, moo deng is certainly the title of a Thai meals, so I believed I might share my moo deng recipe on account of it is a straightforward, tasty and versatile pork meatballs you might add to so many dishes.

Table of Contents

What’s moo deng?

Moo means pork, and deng means bouncy, and it refers to a sort of pork bouncy pork meatballs that we put in fairly just a few dishes, usually noodle soups, together with the viral tom yum quick noodles, pictured beneath. Often, the pork is long-established into patties as an alternative of balls.

Some non-Thai information retailers have been incorrectly reporting that moo deng means “bouncing pig,” which I suppose is true on paper, however not in observe. It is a typical case of “misplaced in translation” on account of in Thai, moo means each pork and pig (the equal method that “rooster” refers to each the animal and the meat). Nonetheless moo deng is a meals!

Elements and Notes

Listed beneath are components you’ll have for moo deng and a few important notes about them. It is tremendous easy! For parts, see the entire recipe card beneath

White peppercorns
Garlic
Floor pork, ideally not lean for top-of-the-line texture.
Soy sauce, use Thai soy sauce for the actual flavour, however with out it, utterly different types of soy sauce will likely be fine quality.
Fish sauce. See this submit on selecting good fine quality fish sauce.
Sugar
A small ice dice, elective.
Meals processor. Ideally, you may furthermore want a meals processor for the fitting texture and to get that bounciness, although a small one is okay. Ought to you do not have one, you may nonetheless make it and can in all probability be tasty, however the texture may very well be additional coarse and it will not be bouncy.

Make Moo Deng

It’s a chook’s eye view of how one might make moo deng. Like every completely different meatballs, you’ll be able to too make these forward of time and freeze!

Pound the garlic and pepper correct proper right into a paste (not confirmed). Add the pork, the garlic paste, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar and a small ice dice correct proper right into a meals processor.
Course of the pork correct proper right into a smooth-ish paste – the smoother it’s the bouncier the meatballs may very well be. With no meals processor merely knead all components correctly collectively correctly collectively alongside along with your hand.
Roll them into little balls with gloved arms. With out gloves, wetting your arms will forestall the pork from sticking to your arms.
Prepare dinner dinner dinner them in boiling water for about 2 minutes or till cooked by way of. Fish them out, and so they additionally’re now able to be added to any noodle soup or any dish you need, otherwise you’ll freeze them for one more day.

Expert Tip: Save the Cooking Water.

After cooking the meatballs, the cooking water will likely be going to have a wide range of flavour in it, and it could be used as a base for plenty of Thai soups, notably noodle soups. So everytime you’re making moo deng for noodle soups, positively shield this water in your soup. And for additional concepts, listed beneath are my Thai soup recipes.

Storage and Advance Prep

Moo deng is an excellent problem to have in your fridge/freezer as they make for simple and scrumptious protein for a weeknight meal. Listed beneath are fairly just a few choices for prepping moo deng forward of time.

Prepare dinner dinner dinner the moo deng off after which freeze them utterly cooked. Then merely boil them for a couple of minutes to reheat and add to your meal.
Make the pork combination, roll them into balls, after which freeze them uncooked. Ought to you do not have time to prepare dinner them earlier than freezing, you may freeze them uncooked, however this is a bit more work as you may ought to freeze them on a tray with out them touching, then consolidated the frozen meatballs correct proper right into a container. When able to place collectively dinner, you may thaw them first or boil them straight from frozen.
Make the pork combination prematurely and shield all through the fridge for fairly just a few days. Ought to you do not have time to roll and put collectively dinner them, however you would possibly wish to get forward a bit bit, you may merely combine the meat combination and shield it all through the fridge as quite a bit as 2 days forward of time (assuming your floor pork is fashionable!). You’ll be able to freeze the meat combination, however freeze it in a flat disc so it will not take a lot time to thaw.

What Dishes Can You Put Moo Deng In?

Moo deng merely is just not a standalone dish, as you may most actually inform, although to be sincere everytime you put collectively dinner them up and serve them with nam jim seafood or candy chili sauce, it would make a inconceivable appetizer! Nonetheless listed beneath are fairly just a few dishes you may serve moo deng in.

Uncover my Thai soup recipes for additional concepts, and really, add them to 1 factor you may consider!