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Meatballs in Sweet and Sour Sauce
Serves 2 (12 meatballs) · About 35 min
Ground pork meatballs rolled and cooked in a small amount of oil, then coated in a sweet and sour sauce with ketchup.
① Make the mixture→② Mix the sweet and sour sauce→③ Shallow-fry the meatballs→④ Wipe out the oil→⑤ Coat with the sauce
What to buy
Meat
Vegetables
Seasonings & flour
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How to make it
1
Make the meat mixture and roll into balls
- On the cutting board, finely chop 1/4 onion
- In a bowl, put 250 g ground pork, the onion, 1 tsp ginger, 1 tbsp sake, 1/4 tsp salt and 1 tbsp potato starch, and knead with your hands until sticky
- Divide into 12 equal parts and roll into balls between your palms
- When you finish rolling, wash your hands with soap
How to tell it's doneYou have 12 meatballs of about the same size (about 3 cm across).
2
Mix the sweet and sour sauce
- In a small bowl, mix 4 tbsp water, 2 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp vinegar, 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp ketchup and 1 tsp potato starch
How to tell it's doneThere are no lumps of potato starch, and it is all the same color.
3
Shallow-fry the meatballs
- Put 4 tbsp vegetable oil in a frying pan and set over medium heat
- Put the tips of dry cooking chopsticks in the oil. When tiny bubbles fizz up, add the meatballs
- Cook them all over for about 7 min, rolling them now and then
How to tell it's doneThey are nicely browned all over. Cut the biggest meatball in half: no pink inside, and the juice that comes out is clear.
Be carefulThe oil splatters, so add the meatballs gently, keeping your hands away from the oil. Do not leave the pan while they cook.
4
Take out the meatballs and wipe out the oil
- Move the meatballs to a plate
- Turn off the heat and wipe out the oil left in the frying pan with paper towels (hold the paper with cooking chopsticks, not your hands)
How to tell it's doneAlmost no oil is left on the bottom of the frying pan.
Be carefulThe frying pan and oil are hot. Hold the paper with cooking chopsticks so you do not get burned.
5
Simmer the sauce until thick and coat the meatballs
- Stir the sweet and sour sauce from step 2 well again, then pour it into the frying pan (the potato starch has sunk to the bottom)
- Set over medium heat and keep stirring with a spatula
- When it thickens, put the meatballs back and roll them to coat
ReadyThe sauce is clear and thick, and the meatballs are shiny all over.
📚 Learn more about this dish
🥬 Ingredient guide
🔪 Cutting & cooking tips
If it didn't work out
The meatballs fell apartNot kneaded enough. Next time, knead until sticky. Do not touch them much when they first start cooking.
The inside was rawThe heat was too high, so only the outside cooked. Turn to medium-low heat and keep going 2 min at a time, rolling them.
The sauce does not thickenThe potato starch was still at the bottom when you poured it in. Turn off the heat, add 1/2 tsp potato starch mixed with 1 tsp water, stir, and simmer again over medium heat.
It's sourIt did not simmer long enough after adding the vinegar. Simmering about 30 sec longer makes it less sour.
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