Four Joy Meatballs

Name: Four Joy Meatballs
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 500 g Pork leg meat (30% fat, 70% lean), sliced and chopped into a coarse mince; 250 g Fresh choy sum hearts (halved lengthwise, quarters if large), cut into 5 cm segments; 1 Egg (about 50 g); 10 g Ginger juice water; 2 g Sugar; 25 g Soy sauce; 2 g Fine salt; 10 g Shaoxing wine; 1 g Minced scallion; 500 g Thick white stock; 40 g Wet starch; 250 g Rendered lard

Four Joy Meatballs is a classic Zhejiang dish featuring meatballs made from a balanced ratio of lean and fat pork, yielding tender, fluffy, and glistening texture, served with fresh, tender vegetable hearts in a broth of natural flavor.

50 min

Easy

0 favorites

Ingredients

Pork leg meat (30% fat, 70% lean), sliced and chopped into a coarse mince 500 g

Fresh choy sum hearts (halved lengthwise, quarters if large), cut into 5 cm segments 250 g

Egg (about 50 g) 1

Ginger juice water 10 g

Sugar 2 g

Soy sauce 25 g

Fine salt 2 g

Shaoxing wine 10 g

Minced scallion 1 g

Thick white stock 500 g

Wet starch 40 g

Rendered lard 250 g

Instructions

Prepare the meat filling

Slice the pork leg meat and chop into a coarse mince. Place in a bowl, add the egg, 5 g Shaoxing wine, minced scallion, ginger juice water, fine salt, and 5 g soy sauce, and beat in one direction until sticky. Add 30 g wet starch and continue beating until the mixture is cohesive. Shape into four large meatballs.

Prepare the choy sum

Halve the choy sum hearts lengthwise (quarter them if large) and cut into 5 cm segments.

Pan-fry the meatballs

Heat a wok over medium heat. After seasoning the wok with a film of oil, add the lard and heat to about 40% hot (about 88 °C). Add the meatballs and pan-fry until golden on both sides, then drain in a colander.

Braise to finish

Leave a little oil in the wok, briefly stir-fry the choy sum, then add the meatballs. Pour in 5 g Shaoxing wine, 20 g soy sauce, 2 g sugar, and the thick white stock; bring to a boil, then move to a small flame and simmer for 15 minutes. When the sauce has thickened, mix 10 g wet starch with a little water and stir in to glaze.