Longyan Meat Balls
A dish of meatballs made by wrapping diced meat and peanuts in a lamb paste, coating with breadcrumbs, and deep-frying.
Ingredients
Lean lamb
500 g
Egg yolk
1
Sifted dry starch
25 g
Breadcrumbs
100 g
Fried crushed peanuts
a pinch
Yellow food coloring
a pinch
Cooking oil
1 kg (approx 150 g consumed)
Sugar
100 g
MSG
to taste
Sichuan peppercorns
to taste
Star anise
to taste
Ginger slices
to taste
Cinnamon bark
to taste
Caramel color
a pinch
Instructions
1
Prepare meat paste and meat cubes
Pound 200 g of lean lamb into a meat paste, mix in yellow food coloring and 1 egg yolk, then stir evenly with 25 g of dry starch; cut the remaining 300 g of lean lamb into 0.5 cm cubes, toss with caramel color and MSG.
2
Fry meat cubes and braise
Heat 1 kg of cooking oil in a wok to 60% heat, add the meat cubes and fry until firm, then drain in a colander to remove excess oil. Place the wok back on the heat, add fresh broth and 100 g of sugar, add the meat cubes, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, ginger slices, and cinnamon bark, then simmer over low heat until the broth dries up. Pour out the contents and remove the spices.
3
Shape the meat balls
Divide the meat paste into small portions, stuff each portion with a meat cube and a piece of fried crushed peanut, wrap tightly, roll into balls, then coat evenly with breadcrumbs.
4
Fry the meat balls
Heat 1 kg of cooking oil in a wok to 60% heat, add the meat balls one by one and fry until golden, then remove.
