These babies are a riff on Lions Head meatballs and use up a chunk of the bounty pork belly my wonderful DH brought home last week. One can only have so many days of pork belly slices in a row.
gluten-free, paleo
Pork Belly Meatballs
Meatballs:
500 – 600g pork belly, skin off
1 Tbsp soy sauce or coconut aminos
1 Tbsp oyster sauce (check your labels!)
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 inch ginger, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp sichuan pepper (I mashed 6 – 10 peppercorns with the butt of my knife to crush)
To form the meatballs, chuck all the ingredients in a food processor and work into a paste. Form into ping pong sized balls and set aside.
Simmer Sauce:
1.5 Tbsp oil
1 cube sugar
2 Tbsp ginger, minced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp sichuan pepper
2 tsp 5-spice powder
2.5 c water
2.5 Tbsp soy sauce or coconut aminos
1/4 c mirin
2 tsp sweet soy (check your labels!)
1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tbsp water
Bring all simmer sauce ingredients but the cornstarch to a hard simmer in a large pan. Let simmer 5 minutes to reduce a bit and get the flavors to start working together.
Add the cornstarch slurry and let cook, stirring, a minute or so until you think it’s beginning to thicken.
Nestle the meatballs in the pan and cook, covered, 5 minutes.
Add 1/2 a package snow peas, halved, and a couple bok choy, chopped.
Pop the lid back on and let go 3 minutes. Take the lid off and continue cooking another 2 – 3 minutes.
Serves 3 – 4 for dinner as a stand-alone, if fleshed out with a carb could stretch another serving
Gastography 