Chinese Meatballs

These are inspired by a dish I didn’t even like when living in China, Lion’s Head Meatballs, but I wanted to recreate anyway. The only thing I didn’t do was steaming them for an hour and a half and I didn’t serve them with the bokchoy that would represent the lion’s manes. I just panfried them and served them with boiled potatoes and vegetables. Surprise, surprise, they’re more suitable in a Dutch dish than a Chinese menu! At least, that’s what I think. ;-)

RECIPE

450g minced pork
1 egg-white
4 spring onions, chopped finely
1 T shaoxing ricewine
1 t grated ginger
1 T chinese light soy sauce (or kikoman)
2 t sugar
1 t sesame oil
1 t salt
¼ t white pepper

Mixing the eggwhite with the food processor will give the meat an extra velvetty structure. Just don’t overdo it. You could blend in the other ingredients at the same time, except for the spring onions. Add and mix those in by hand. Shape into meatballs, any size you like. Dust with some cornflour so they wont’ stick to the pan and slowly panfry them until they’re done. (That’s when the internal temperature is around 72-73° C)

I’m a little bit fussy about minced meat, so I like to grind my own. These meatballs shouldn’t be too lean, I used 80% of lean pork and 20% of fatty pork. Of course less fussy people just buy their minced from their butcher’s.

I really think they go best with boiled potatoes and something like common beans. (In this case cut into spaghetti-like strings, cooked in chickenstock, finished with some cream and a pinch of currypowder)

If you’re dutch, here’s some more information about the ingredients (in dutch): shaoxing ricewine, ginger, light soy sauce , sesame oil.