Light Bites Recipes - Steamed Pork Balls Recipe

Ingredients

• 30ml/2 tbsp vegetable oil

• 200g/7oz/scant 3 cups finely chopped shiitake mushrooms

• 400g/14oz lean minced (ground) pork

• 4 spring onions (scallions), chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• 5ml/1 tbsp fish sauce

• 5ml/1 tbsp soy sauce

• 15ml/1 tsp grated root ginger

• 60ml/4 tbsp finely chopped coriander (cilantro)

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

• salt and ground black pepper

• 200g/1 cup cooked jasmine rice

For the dipping sauce:

• 120ml/1/2 cup sweet chili sauce

• 105ml/7 tbsp soy sauce

• 15ml/1 tbsp Chinese rice wine

• 5-10ml/1-2 tsp chili oil

Serves 4

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Method:

1. Heat the oil in a wok. then stir-fry the mushrooms for 2-3 minutes.

2. Transfer to a food processor with the pork, spring onions, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce, ginger, coriander and beaten egg. Process for 30-40 seconds. Scrape the mixture into a bowl, cover and chill for 3-4 hours or overnight.

3. Place the jasmine rice in a bowl. With wet hands, divide the mushroom mixture into 20 portions and roll each one into a firm ball.

4. Roll each ball in the rice then arrange the balls, spaced apart, in two baking parchment-lined tiers of a bamboo steamer.

5. Cover the steamer and place over a wok of simmering water. Steam for 1 hour 15 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, combine all the dipping sauce ingredients in a small bowl.

7. Then the pork balls are fully cooked, remove them from the steamer and serve them warm with the spicy dipping sauce.