Juicy Asian Pork Meatballs

Grey, chewy and meaty balls of pork, some even filled with stuffing that bursts in your mouth. These style of pork meatballs are usually found in Chinese hawker stall noodle dishes and even more common in steamboat or hotpot restaurants.

These kind of meatballs are one of my favorite ingredients when preparing quick meals. But somehow or rather, it didn't came to mind until just recently to try and make them from scratch. Prior to this, the only kind of meatballs I made were the Western kind, mixed in with bread crumbs and cheese, and then deep fried or baked.

So without further ado, here is my recipe for making homemade pork meatballs, Asian style.

Juicy Asian Pork Meatballs

Approximately 20 pieces

Ingredients:

1. Minced pork* 500g

2. Ginger 5g, finely chopped

3. Green Onions 20g, finely chopped

4. Fish sauce 15ml/1 tablespoon

5. Chinese Cooking Rice Wine 1 teaspoon

6. Egg white 1

7. Cornstarch 1 tsp

*If possible, try to get a ratio of 70-80% lean meat; 20-30% fat. Higher ratio of lean meat will give you a tougher meatball with more bite, while a fattier meat ration will give you a softer and juicier meatball.

Method:

1. In a large bowl, mix together the minced pork, ginger, green onions, fish sauce, rice wine and egg white.

2. Sprinkle the cornstarch evenly over the mixture and then mix it well again.

3. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes.

4. In a large wide saucepan or pot, add water up to 3 inch above the base of the pan/pot. Bring it to a boil.

5. Meanwhile, shape your pork mixture into ping pong sized balls. You can use your hands or a small ice cream scoop will make it a lot easier. Each ball will be approximately 25 to 30g.

6. Once the water is boiling, insert the raw meatballs into the pot. Do not overcrowd them. The amount of meatballs in your pot should be just enough to form a single level when the float in the water. This is so each can be cooked evenly.

7. Cook the meatballs for 8 to 10 minutes.

8. When they are ready, scoop them up and set aside to cool.

Heat them up in your favorite noodle soups, your hotpot dinners, or pack them in ziplock bags once they are cooled and freeze them for later use.

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