Bakso — Indonesian Beef Meatball Noodle Soup

Rinse the bones one time under cold water, place them in a large pot, and pour 2.5 liters cold water over them. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Skim off the gray foam with a ladle, repeating 3–4 times until the water is clear. Add the halved onion, crushed garlic, white pepper, and salt, then reduce the heat. From this point on, the water should not boil; it should only tremble at the surface. Boiling disperses the fat into the broth and makes the soup cloudy.

Put the ground beef, tapioca starch, and ice water in a food processor. Keeping the meat ice-cold is essential: the processor generates heat, and if the meat warms up, the fat separates and the meatballs turn grainy. Process in 20–30-second bursts, scraping down the bowl between bursts. Stop when the mixture is no longer grainy and has become a glossy, sticky paste that droops from a spoon without breaking.

Add the crushed garlic, salt, and pepper, then process for 20 seconds more. Transfer the paste to a bowl and, with a wet hand, knead it in one direction for 2–3 minutes so the starch coats the meat evenly. Cover the bowl and refrigerate it until you are ready to shape the meatballs.

Heat water in a wide pot and take it off the heat just before it boils; the surface should only tremble, at about 80°C / 175°F. Squeeze the paste in your wet palm and use your thumb to push out walnut-sized balls. Lift each one with a wet spoon and lower it into the water. The meatballs will sink at first and rise as they cook. Once they float, cook them for 3 minutes more, then remove them with a slotted spoon.

Slice the onion as thinly as possible and fry it in oil over medium heat, stirring. As soon as the edges turn golden, transfer the onion to a paper towel; if it stays in the pan, the residual heat will darken it. In the same water, boil the Chinese cabbage for 1 minute and cook the noodles for the time listed on the package. Drain both.

Add the noodles to the bowls first, then the cabbage and meatballs. Strain the beef stock over them so the bones and spices do not end up in the bowls. Finish with green onions and fried onions, and place a lemon wedge on the side; squeeze the lemon at the table, not into the pot.