Ingredients Grains Rice Rice Congee with Pork Meatballs (Khao Dtom Moo Saap) Be the first to rate & review! Chef James Syhabout flavors his meatballs simply with fish sauce and soy sauce. They’re served in his soothing congee with assorted condiments, including cilantro, garlic oil and chile vinegar. Slideshow: More Meatball Recipes By James Syhabout James Syhabout F&W Star Chef » See All F&W Chef Superstars Chef: James Syhabout Restaurants: Commis, Hawker Fare, Box and Bells Eating House, The Dock at Linden Street (Oakland, CA) Experience: Manresa (Los Gatos, CA) Education: California Culinary Academy, San Francisco Who taught you how to cook? What is the most important thing you learned from him or her? I grew up at my parents’ Thai restaurant. My mother taught me how to cook. The most important thing she taught me is not to be wasteful. What's a dish that defines your cooking style? Overall, my cooking style varies. I like to cook with a sense of open-mindedness and playfulness, but also pay homage to the origin or history of the certain cuisine. Maintaining the original spirit is important to me, and I do this by reading cookbooks and eating the dishes at the multiple restaurants that do the dishes well. What was the first dish you ever cooked yourself? And what is the best dish for a neophyte cook to try? The first dish I ever made was fried egg, cooked over-easy and served on top of steamed rice with soy sauce and cracked white pepper. It’s my favorite to this day. I would try baking for a beginning cook. It’s great to know how the science of cooking works and learning to be precise. Favorite cookbook of all time? Essential Cuisine by Michel Bras. This book is ahead of its time, and also timeless, which makes it an instant classic. What's the most important skill you need to be a great cook? Organization and discipline are key. Is there a culinary skill or type of dish that you wish you were better at? I wish I were better at pastry. I have a short background. The minimal experience I have had with desserts has helped me a lot on the savory side of cookery. What is the best bang-for-the-buck ingredient and how would you use it? White distilled vinegar, I use it a lot in Asian cookery and it is wonderful. The flavor is neutral and clean, and it can be used for flavored vinegars very well. It’s like grapeseed oil, without the price tag. What is your current food obsession? Kway Teow Rua (boat noodles). I can eat this anytime of the day and will not get sick of it. It brings me back to my childhood. Name three restaurants you are dying to go to in the next year and why? Ishikawa Restaurant in Tokyo. I love sushi and I’ve never been to Japan, so I am going to splurge when I get there. A collective of Hawker food stalls in the streets of Bangkok. I haven’t gone back to Thailand since I was 13 years old. The visit is overdue and I’m really excited to learn more about myself through the food. What is the most cherished souvenir you've brought back from a trip? Dried mangoes from Thailand that my mother made when we were there 20 years ago. Mangoes were grown in front of the house my mother was born and raised in, and it was rolled by hand and sun-dried. It doesn’t get any more “terroir” than that. What ingredient will people be talking about in five years? Thai shrimp paste. People will realize and enjoy the funk that comes along with its deliciousness. What do you eat straight out of the fridge, standing up? What is your favorite snack? Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Ice Cream. I can eat a gallon of it in one serving easily, even while standing up, and it will never get old. Calbee seaweed-flavored potato chips from the Korean or Japanese supermarket; they’re super-addictive. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 1, 2015 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © Con Poulos Active Time: 40 mins Total Time: 40 mins Yield: 4 to 6 Ingredients 1/2 pound ground pork 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce, plus more for serving 1 tablespoon soy sauce Freshly ground white pepper 8 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth 1 cup jasmine rice 1 lemongrass stalk, cut into three 3-inch pieces and crushed 5 dried Thai bird chiles, stemmed, or 1 tablespoon crushed dried Thai chile 1/4 cup vegetable oil 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1 serrano chile, seeded and minced 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar 1/2 teaspoon sugar Lime wedges, sliced scallions and chopped cilantro, for serving Directions In a bowl, combine the pork with the 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, the soy sauce and a pinch of white pepper. Let sit for 10 to 30 minutes. In an enameled cast-iron casserole, combine the chicken stock, rice and lemongrass and bring to a boil over moderately high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially and simmer until the rice is soft, about 25 minutes. Discard the lemongrass. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, toast the dried chiles over moderate heat until lightly browned and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a spice grinder and grind to a coarse powder; some seeds will remain. Transfer to a bowl and wipe out the skillet. Heat the oil in the skillet. Add the garlic and cook over low heat until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Scrape the garlic oil into a small bowl. In another small bowl, combine the serrano, vinegar and sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Using a small ice cream scoop, make generous 1-inch meatballs with the ground pork. Drop into the rice and broth in the casserole. Cover and simmer over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the meatballs are cooked through, about 10 minutes. Ladle the congee into bowls. Serve with little bowls of the toasted chiles, fried garlic oil, chile vinegar, lime wedges, scallions, cilantro, white pepper and fish sauce. Make Ahead The uncooked meatballs can be refrigerated overnight. Suggested Pairing Vibrant South African Chenin Blanc. Rate it Print