Meat Recipes - Pork Balls With Ginger

Ingredients

• 8 dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked in warm water 20 minutes

• 1 2/3 lbs (750g) lean pork, ground

• 1 inch (2.5ml) piece fresh ginger, finely chopped

• 4 canned water chestnuts, finely chopped

• 1 egg

• 1 tbsp (15ml) soy sauce

• 5 tbsp (75ml) cornstarch

• 1/2 cup (125ml) oil

• 1 bamboo shoot, diced

• 1 red pepper, diced

• 1 green pepper, diced

SAUCE

• 1/2 cup (125ml) vinegar

• 1/2 cup (125ml) sherry

• 3 tbsp (45ml) sugar

• 3 tbsp (45ml) tomato catsup

• 3 tbsp (45ml) chili pepper sauce

• 1 tbsp (15ml) soy sauce

• 1 tbsp (15ml) cornstarch blended with 3 tbsp (45ml) water

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Method:

1. Drain mushrooms, discard stems and slice caps finely.

2. Combine ground pork with ginger, water chestnuts, egg, soy sauce and half the cornstarch. Shape into small balls and roll in remaining cornstarch.

3. Heat 1/3 cup (85ml) oil in a wok, fry pork balls in batches until crisp and brown,. Test one to see if it is cooked. Remove and drain on paper towels.

4. Combine all sauce ingredients except cornstarch paste.

5. Heat 3 tbsp (45ml) oil in the wok and stir-fry all the vegetables for 3 minutes. Pour in sauce and cook for a further 3 minutes. Thicken with cornstarch paste. Pour vegetable and sauce over pork balls.