Four Joy Meatballs
A classic Shandong (Lu) cuisine staple, Four Joy Meatballs (四喜丸子) feature a rich, glossy red hue, fragrant aroma, soft and glutinous tender texture, and melt instantly in the mouth, making them suitable for diners of all ages.
Ingredients
Pork fat and lean meat (fat to lean ratio 1:4, fat cut into cubes, lean minced)
500 g
Winter mushroom (clean, sliced)
10 g
Winter bamboo shoots (clean, sliced)
10 g
Eggs
100 g
Scallion (minced)
10 g
Ginger (minced)
10 g
Soy sauce
15 g
Shaoxing wine
20 g
Salt
15 g
Sichuan peppercorns
5 g
Star anise
5 g
MSG
15 g
Wet starch
25 g
Peanut oil
25 g
Instructions
1
Step 1
Cut the pork fat into 0.3 cm cubes, mince the lean meat finely, put in a bowl, add eggs, minced scallion and ginger, wet starch, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, mix well, form into four evenly sized meatballs, set aside.
2
Step 2
Clean and slice winter mushrooms and winter bamboo shoots evenly. Heat peanut oil in a wok over medium heat to about 150°C (60% heat), add meatballs, fry until golden brown, remove.
3
Step 3
Place in a bowl, add soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, clear broth. Steam in a steamer over high heat for 30 minutes, remove, arrange on a large plate.
4
Step 4
Pour the original broth into a pot, add winter bamboo shoot slices and winter mushroom slices, bring to a boil over high heat, add MSG and scallion oil, mix well, thicken with wet starch, pour over the meatballs.
