Vietnamese Pork Meatballs in Tomato Sauce, Trứng Xíu Mại
This xiu mai recipe shapes seasoned pork with jicama and onion into tender meatballs, then braises them with boiled egg in a rich tomato sauce. One serving is about 310 g (four meatballs, egg and sauce). It serves 4 and takes about 50 minutes, and is made for tearing crusty bread through the sauce.
Xiu mai came to Vietnam with Cantonese cooking and was reshaped in the south: small pork meatballs braised in a sweet tomato sauce, often with a boiled egg, and eaten with a baguette — a legacy of French bread in Vietnam. In Da Lat, the cool highland city, a bowl of xiu mai with bread is a classic morning meal.
Pairs well with: Crusty baguette, pickled carrots and daikon, and fresh coriander.
Provenance
Vietnam
Da Lat Street-Food Classic
East & South Asia
Time Dedication
50m
20m prep • 30m cook
Batch Yield
4 Servings
519 kcal per serving
1 serving ≈ 310 g
Technical Skill
Intermediate
Intermediate (Meatballs)
Meal Timing & Digestive Fit
Breakfast
Not Advised
Lunch
Prime Metabolic Fit
Dinner
Ideal Hearty Main
Snack & Tea
Inappropriate
Da Lat Street-Food Classic
Photo: Phương Huy, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Heritage Formulary
Estimated cost: Low — about $2–3 per serving at home (USD)
A home version of the southern Vietnamese xiu mai; no official standard recipe exists, so the method follows widely used Vietnamese home cooking.
Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique
Prep Stage: Mix, Shape & Boil the Eggs
20 Mins • Mixing & Shaping
Boil the eggs for 9 minutes, cool and peel. Mix the pork with jicama, onion, garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, fish sauce, sugar and pepper, then shape 16 meatballs about 4 cm across and chill them for 10 minutes so they hold their shape in the pan.
Maestro Tip: Wet your hands before shaping — the mixture is sticky and wet hands keep it smooth.
8 Mins Medium-high heat
Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat and brown the meatballs in one layer, turning gently, until golden on the outside, about 6–8 minutes. They do not need to cook through yet — the braise finishes them.
Do not move them for the first 2 minutes, or the crust will tear.
Done when: Golden all over; still pink in the middle.
5 Mins Medium heat
In the same pan, soften the remaining garlic for 30 seconds, then add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and water, add the rest of the sugar and a pinch of salt, and bring to a gentle simmer.
Cooking the paste first takes away its raw, tinny edge.
Done when: Sauce simmering, brick-red and glossy.
20 Mins Low simmer, about 95°C (200°F)
Slide the meatballs back into the sauce, nestle the halved eggs cut-side up among them, cover, and simmer gently for 20 minutes. The meatballs must reach 71°C (160°F) in the centre.
Keep the simmer gentle — hard boiling breaks the meatballs apart.
Done when: Meatballs firm and cooked through, 71°C (160°F) inside; sauce slightly thickened.
5 Mins Medium heat
Lift the lid, turn the heat up, and simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon. Taste and balance with a little more fish sauce or sugar — it should be savoury, lightly sweet and tomato-bright.
The sauce should cling to the bread, not run off it.
Done when: Sauce thick, glossy, coats a spoon.
2 Mins Off the heat
Rest the pan for 2 minutes, scatter over the spring onions, and serve in bowls with crusty bread.
The rest lets the meatballs drink up the sauce.
Done when: Hot bowls, meatballs glossy, bread ready for dipping.
Finishing Touches & Plating
Let the pan rest for 2 minutes so the meatballs drink up the sauce, then serve in bowls with plenty of crusty bread for dipping.
Nutritional Physiology & Benefits
Energy
519
kcal / serving
Protein
29g
Complete AA
Carbs
22g
Complex
Fats
36g
Healthy
| Energy | 519 kcal |
| Protein | 29 g |
| Carbohydrates | 22 g |
| Fat | 36 g |
| Fibre | 4.0 g |
| Sugar | 9.7 g |
| Sodium | 618 mg |
| Energy | 167 kcal |
| Protein | 9.5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 7.1 g |
| Fat | 11.5 g |
| Fibre | 1.3 g |
| Sugar | 3.1 g |
| Sodium | 199 mg |
Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.
Vitamins & minerals: Pork and egg supply vitamin B12, iron and zinc, and the tomato sauce adds vitamin C and lycopene.
Protein That Fills You Up
Pork and egg together give 29.3 g of protein per serving, so one bowl keeps you full for hours.
Iron & B12 from Pork and Egg
Pork and egg are natural sources of iron, zinc and vitamin B12.
Lycopene from Cooked Tomatoes
Cooking tomatoes makes their lycopene easier for the body to use, and the sauce carries it in every spoonful.
Food Pairings
To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:
Sides
Crusty Baguette
A crusty baguette is the essential partner — it is made for tearing and dipping in the tomato sauce.
Vegetables
Pickled Carrot & Daikon
Sharp, crunchy pickles cut the richness of the pork and refresh the palate between bites.
Cucumber & Herb Salad
Cool cucumber, mint and coriander lighten the rich, warm sauce.
Drinks
Jasmine Tea
Hot jasmine tea cleanses the palate and suits the gentle sweetness of the sauce.
Complete menu
Serve a bowl of xiu mai with a crusty baguette, pickled carrot and daikon, and cucumber and herb salad, then fresh fruit — the pickles cut the richness of the pork.
Digestive Guardrails
To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:
Undercooked Meatballs
Ground pork must reach 71°C (160°F) in the centre — ground meat cooks unevenly, so check the largest meatball. This is general food information, not medical advice.
Tasting the Raw Mixture
Do not taste the raw pork mixture to check the seasoning — the egg and pork are only safe once cooked through. This is general food information, not medical advice.
General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.
Who Should Eat It
Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid
If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.
Storage & Use
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Comfort & Sustained Energy
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WARNING: This dish is made from raw duck blood and eating it is NOT recommended. Raw blood can carry Streptococcus suis (which causes meningitis and sepsis — people in Vietnam have died after eating pig-blood tiet canh), avian influenza from duck blood, salmonella and other dangerous germs. Vietnam's Ministry of Health advises against eating tiet canh, and no preparation method — not even blood from a fresh or trusted source — makes raw blood fully safe. This page describes the traditional Hanoi preparation, tiết canh vịt, for cultural knowledge only. One serving is about 241 g: a small bowl of fresh duck blood mixed with fish sauce, poured over finely chopped cooked duck meat and left to set into a soft, trembling jelly, then finished with crushed roasted peanuts, fresh herbs, lime and chili, and served cold.
Cultural Discovery
A traditional northern Vietnamese snack of raw duck blood set into a soft jelly with cooked duck meat, herbs and peanuts — described here for cultural knowledge, with a serious safety warning.
