Fresh Gluten Pork Meatballs
A traditional Jiangsu specialty of small white meatballs encased in tender water-gluten (mianfu) skins, yielding a thin wrapper with a juicy, delicate filling.
Ingredients
Pork leg meat (minced for filling)
500 g
Fresh gluten (i.e., wheat surface gluten)
250 g
Refined salt
12 g
MSG
7.5 g
Shaoxing wine
25 g
White sugar
25 g
Scallion and ginger
10 g each
Wet starch (for mixing meat filling)
25 g
Instructions
1
Make gluten balls
Roll the wheat surface gluten into long strips, cut into 50 small pieces, and shape each piece into a ball.
2
Make meat filling
Separately mince the pork leg meat, add seasonings, and stir to make 50 filling portions.
3
Wrap filling
Stretch each wheat gluten ball, wrap the meat filling inside, and pinch the opening tightly to seal.
4
Cook the meatballs
Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil, add refined salt. Add the meatballs to the pot as you make them, but keep the water from boiling vigorously; add cold water as needed to prevent the boiling water from breaking the filling. When all the meatballs float to the surface, add Shaoxing wine and MSG, then remove from heat and serve in a soup bowl.
