Yangmei Meatballs
A Zhejiang dish with a golden-yellow color, shaped like bayberries, and a sweet-and-sour flavor.
Ingredients
Pork leg meat (30% fat, 70% lean)
to taste
Eggs
to taste
Salt
to taste
MSG (monosodium glutamate)
to taste
Water
100g
Breadcrumbs
to taste
Cooked pork lard
to taste
Sugar
to taste
Vinegar
to taste
Bayberry juice
to taste
Wet cornstarch slurry
to taste
Instructions
1
Make the meat filling
Select pork leg meat that is 30% fat and 70% lean. Mince it into a paste and transfer to a mixing bowl. Beat in the eggs, then add salt, MSG, and 100 g of water, and stir vigorously in one direction until the mixture becomes sticky and elastic. Fold in the breadcrumbs until evenly combined, then shape the filling into balls about the size of bayberries with your hands.
2
Fry the meatballs
Place the cooked pork lard in a wok and heat over medium heat until the oil reaches roughly the half-hot stage (about 150 °C). Carefully drop in the meatballs and fry until they float to the surface and turn golden brown. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain off the excess oil.
3
Make the sauce and finish
In the same wok, pour in 100 ml of water and add the sugar, vinegar, and bayberry juice. Heat over medium heat, stirring, until everything melts into a smooth, glossy sauce. Thicken with the wet cornstarch slurry to form a light glaze, then return the fried meatballs to the pan, toss twice to coat them evenly, drizzle over about 7 g of cooked pork lard, and serve immediately.
