Lychee Pork Balls
A Zhejiang dish of pork scored in a crosshatch pattern, fried into rounded balls, and glazed with a sweet-and-sour tomato sauce—resembling lychees in both shape and flavor.
Ingredients
lean pork
300 g
canned pineapple in syrup
100 g
shiitake mushroom strips
a pinch
dry starch
a pinch
ketchup
a pinch
sugar
a pinch
cooking wine
a pinch
salt
a pinch
rice vinegar
a pinch
cornstarch slurry
a pinch
vegetable oil (100 g used)
500 g
Instructions
1
Step 1
Cut the lean pork into 0.3 cm thick large slices. Score deep, dense crosshatch (scale-like) cuts on one side of each slice, then cut the meat into 3 cm diamond-shaped pieces. Toss with cooking wine and salt to marinate briefly, then roll the pieces in dry starch until evenly coated—making sure the scored side is fully covered with starch. Deep-fry in oil heated to 60% hot until the pieces curl into ball shapes, with a crispy outside and cooked inside. Remove and drain the oil.
2
Step 2
Leave a small amount of oil in the original pan. Add ketchup, shiitake strips, sugar, salt, vinegar, and water to make a sweet-and-sour tomato sauce. Cut the pineapple into small cubes and add them to the sauce; bring to a boil. Thicken with cornstarch slurry until the sauce is viscous, then add the meat balls and stir-fry until evenly coated. Serve.
