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Indonesian Bakso Meatball Soup

Counter 11 · Meatballs & Mince

Indonesian Bakso Meatball Soup

Springy, finely textured beef meatballs poached in a garlicky clear broth with tofu, greens and crispy fried shallots, the way Jakarta street carts serve it.

4.8 143 cooks rated this
Prep
35 min
Cook
1 hr 30 min
Serves
6
Level
Medium
Free recipe Jump to method

Bakso is all about texture. The meat is pulsed with ice and tapioca starch into a smooth paste, which is what gives the balls their famous bounce. A food processor handles it fine at home as long as everything stays very cold; warm paste breaks and turns crumbly. Poach gently, never at a rolling boil, or the surfaces pucker. The broth leans on beef bones and fried garlic, and each bowl gets finished with sweet soy, sambal and lime to taste at the table.

Method

  1. Cover the bones with 3 quarts cold water in a large pot, bring to a boil, skim the gray foam for 5 minutes, then lower to a bare simmer for 60 minutes. Season with 2 tsp salt.

  2. Pulse the cold beef in a food processor until finely ground. Add the ice, grated garlic, 2 tsp salt and white pepper and process 2 minutes until a smooth, pale paste forms. Add the tapioca starch and pulse just to combine.

  3. Bring a separate pot of water to 180 F, steaming but not bubbling. Squeeze the paste through a loose fist into walnut-sized balls and scoop them into the water with a wet spoon.

  4. Poach until the meatballs float and feel springy, about 8 minutes. Lift them into a bowl.

  5. Fry the sliced garlic in the oil over medium-low heat until pale gold, 2 minutes, then pour garlic and oil into the strained broth.

  6. Add the tofu and meatballs to the broth and simmer 5 minutes. Drop in the bok choy for the last minute.

  7. Ladle into bowls, top with fried shallots and serve with sambal on the side.

Rows of raw rolled meatballs on a floral china platter
Meatballs rolled and ready for the pan
Ground beef in a skillet above minced garlic and a chef knife
Browning ground beef while the garlic waits

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