Steamed Five-Spice Pork Meatballs
10
- Prep Time15 mins
- Total Time1 hr 55 mins
- Makes4 servings
Produced by Stephanie Han Kim, Photography by Christie Vuong,Food Styling by Ashley Denton, Prop Styling by Madeleine Johari.
There is a deep and storied tradition of meatballs as dim sum. Arguably the most famous of the bunch are lion’s head, notable for their springy texture, which is achieved by vigorously beating the ground meat against the side of the bowl. The technique takes some time to master, so consider this recipe an entry-level foray inspired by the classic, with water chestnuts for texture and the requisite seasoning of five-spice powder and tangerine zest. Look for coarsely ground fatty pork or ask your butcher for a custom mix with 20 to 30 percent fat.—Tara O'Brady
Ingredients
1/2 cup panko
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 tsp minced ginger
1/4 tsp five-spice powder
1/4 tsp dried tangerine zest
450 g medium or regular ground pork
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
2 tsp sodium-reduced soy sauce
2 tsp Shaoxing wine dry sherry
1 large egg
1/4 cup drained and finely chopped canned water chestnuts
1/2 tsp sesame oil
Instructions
Combine panko with green onions, ginger, five-spice powder and tangerine zest in a large bowl. Crumble pork overtop, then sprinkle with salt and white pepper. Drizzle soy sauce and wine overtop. With clean hands or a silicone spatula, stir mixture in one direction until well combined, 2 min. Add egg and stir in same direction for 3 more min. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hr or overnight.
Fold water chestnuts into meat mixture. Lightly oil a plate and your hands with sesame oil. Using hands, roll meat mixture into 12 balls and place on prepared plate. Refrigerate meatballs for 15 min.
Pour 1 in. water into a large, wide saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high. Set a bamboo steamer inside pan. Cut a parchment-paper circle to fit inside steamer basket. Arrange meatballs evenly in basket. Cover and steam until an instant-read thermometer inserted into centres of meatballs reads 160F, about 12 min. Garnish with more sliced green onions, if desired.
Kitchen tip
Look for dried tangerine zest in your local Asian grocer, or substitute it with 1 tsp fresh clementine zest.
Find more new delicious meatball recipes in this collection.
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