Xiu Mai

1.Place a pan over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil, and then add diced onions and 4 cloves minced garlic. Sauté for about 3-4 minutes until translucent, don't let them burn. Set aside to cool.
2.In a large mixing bowl, add ground pork, cooked onions, salt, panko, milk, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Mix thoroughly for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is well combined and sticky.
3.Use about 1 1/2 tablespoons of filling to form each meatball. Place them onto a heatproof plate and place the plate in a steamer and steam until the meatballs are almost cooked through, about 5-6 minutes. Transfer the meatballs to a plate and reserve the meat juices.
4.Place the sauté pan on medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil, and then add shallots and 4 cloves minced garlic. Sauté for a few seconds until fragrant. Add diced tomatoes, stir and cook until the tomatoes start to soften and release juice. Add reserved meat juices plus chicken stock, so that we add about 2/3 cup of additional liquid to the tomato sauce. Add tomato paste, fish sauce, soy sauce, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, stir and bring to a simmer. Lower heat, cover and let the sauce simmer gently for 4 minutes or until flavors meld together. Adjust seasonings to taste.
5.Add meatballs to the pan. Cover and continue to simmer for 2 minutes, flip the meatballs once, until they are cooked through and lightly coated with the sauce.
6.In a small bowl mix cornstarch and water together. Then slowly add cornstarch slurry while stirring the sauce to thicken it about 1 more minute.
7.Add the meatballs and tomato sauce to plates. Serve immediately with baguettes.