Sweet and Sour Asian Meatballs with Vegetables
Ingredients:
- 1.25 lbs lean ground beef, preferably organic
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 3/4 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 – 3 drops 100% pure ginger oil (or 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger)
- 3/4 – 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Chinese 5 Spice Powder
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 medium carrot, very finely chopped
- 2 ounces button or shiitake mushrooms, very finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 – 2 drops 100% pure ginger oil (or 1 – 2 teaspoons fresh minced ginger)
- 2 – 3 tablespoons brown sugar (adjust for your sweetness preference)
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped into 3/4 inch squares
- 1 – 8 ounce can sliced water chestnuts
- 4 – 6 ounces snow peas or sugar snap peas
- brown jasmine rice, for serving
- sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions:
- Place the ground beef in a large bowl. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the milk, egg, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, ginger oil, salt, pepper, 5 spice powder, and garlic. Whisk to combine. Add mixture to the ground beef. Stir to combine.
- Add the carrot, mushroom, cilantro, parsley, green onion, and panko breadcrumbs to the meat mixture. Mix until combined. I find that hands work best for this. Form into golf ball sized portions and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. I like to use a Medium Cookie Scoop to ensure the balls are all evenly sized.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes, or until the insides are no longer pink and a thermometer registers 160 degrees F when inserted in the center of a meatball. Serve with sauce, vegetables, and brown jasmine rice.
Instructions:
- Combine the pineapple juice, ketchup, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, ginger oil, brown sugar, and cornstarch in a medium to large skillet. Cook until boiling, then reduce to a simmer. Add the meatballs, snow peas, bell pepper, and water chestnuts. Cook until the sauce coats the meatballs and the vegetables are tender.
- Serve with brown jasmine rice and a sprinkle of sesame seeds on top.