Bakso: Indonesian Meatball Soup

Method14 steps · about 2 hr 15 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Bring the beef bones and trimmings to a boil in three litres of water. Reduce to medium-low heat and skim off scum.

   Uses 500 g mixture of beef bones and trimmings · 3 litres water for broth

2. 2

   Step 2: Meanwhile, crush the garlic (7 cloves) and peppercorns into a paste.

   Uses 7 cloves garlic, peeled. · 1 tbsp white peppercorn

3. 3

   Step 3: Heat the cooking oil (3 tbsp) over medium flame, and saute the garlic paste until fragrant (around two minutes).

   Sauté garlic-pepper paste until fragrant · 2 minUses 3 tbsp cooking oil · Prepared garlic-white-pepper paste

4. 4

   Step 4: Add the sauteed garlic to the soup.

   Uses Simmering beef-bone broth · Sautéed garlic-pepper paste

5. 5

   Step 5: Season with salt (to taste) to taste and choose the one beef stock cube or quarter-teaspoon MSG. Use one stock/MSG option only.

   Uses Beef broth with sautéed aromatics · Salt to taste · 1 beef stock cube, or use the MSG alternative · 1/4 teaspoon MSG, only instead of the beef stock cube

6. 6

   Step 6: Simmer the seasoned broth for eighty to 110 minutes, keeping the final ten minutes of the overall ninety-to-120-minute broth simmer for the meatballs in the next step.

   Simmer broth before final meatball phase · 110 minUses Seasoned beef broth

7. 7

   Step 7: Add the sixteen frozen beef meatballs (16) for the final approximately ten minutes of the broth simmer. Follow their package cooking instructions and cook fully; for raw ground-beef meatballs, check 71°C (160°F) at the centre. Continue cooking if needed.

   Cook frozen beef meatballs until fully done · 10 minUses Long-simmered beef broth · 16 ready-to-cook frozen beef meatballs

8. 8

   Step 8: Turn off the heat.

   Uses Finished hot beef broth and cooked meatballs

9. 9

   Step 9: First, prepare the noodles according to the instructions in the packet.

   Prepare chosen noodles for their package-directed timeUses 1 bowl of cellophane noodles, yellow noodles or rice vermicelli, or a mix · Additional water as needed to prepare noodles according to their package

10. 10

    Step 10: In an individual serving bowl, put a little bit of noodles as a base.

    Uses Package-prepared noodles

11. 11

    Step 11: Add the bok choy.

    Uses Noodle bases in serving bowls · A few stalks bok choy, washed, chopped and blanched

12. 12

    Step 12: Add a few pieces of bakso and ladle the soup.

    Uses Prepared noodle and bok-choy bowls · Finished hot beef broth and cooked meatballs

13. 13

    Step 13: Garnish with celery (1 stalk), spring onions (1 stalk) and fried shallots (to taste).

    Uses Assembled meatball-noodle soup bowls · 1 stalk celery, thinly chopped. · 1 stalk spring onion, thinly chopped. · Fried shallots (optional) to taste.

14. 14

    Step 14: Serve the sambal sop/soto (to taste), vinegar (to taste), tomato ketchup (to taste) and sweet soy sauce (to taste) on the side.

    Uses Garnished bakso bowls · Sambal sop/soto to taste. · Vinegar to taste, optional, or use lime wedges · Lime wedges to taste, optional, instead of vinegar · Tomato ketchup to taste (optional) · Sweet soy sauce to taste (optional)