If you’re on the hunt for a dish that combines comfort, flavor, and a touch of creativity, look no further than this unique Chinese Ground Pork Meatballs.

These meatballs are incredibly tender and moist, giving you a comforting and satisfying experience.

And the best part? They’re super simple to make, so anyone can easily cook up a batch of these delicious treats.

📝About This Ground Pork Meatball Recipe

These Chinese Meatballs also called Lion’s Head Meatball is a classic dish loved in Southern China, especially around Shanghai. It’s affordable, tender, and a household staple, perfect with rice or noodles.

In this recipe, there’s a twist – the addition of apples. The apple’s sweet and sour notes mingle with the rich minced pork, creating a harmonious balance that’s both familiar and fresh.

I really enjoy Shanghai food because it brings back memories from my childhood. I make a lot of these meatballs and store them in the freezer, so I can easily heat them up whenever I want. They’re like my go-to comfort and fast food but without any processed additives.

Chinese Pork Meatballs — Ground Pork Meatballs

🔪 Instructions

Step One: Crafting The Meatballs

Blend for Flavor: Place the ginger, spring onion, and water into a blender. Blend until the mixture turns smooth.
Mix and infuse: In a generously sized bowl, combine the ginger and spring onion juice from the blender with the ground pork, apple, salt, white pepper powder, rice wine, cornstarch, and sugar. Mix these ingredients thoroughly with a spatula until the liquid is fully integrated.
Shape with Care: It’s time to give these flavorsome ingredients their signature form. Carefully shape the mixture into individual meatballs with your hands as your kitchen tools.

Step Two: Deep Frying the meatballs

In a non-stick pan over medium heat, heat oil and deep fry the meatballs until they turn a delicious golden brown.

Step Three: Braising the meatballs

Bring your deep-fried meatballs together with soy sauce, sugar, rice wine, ginger slices, star anise, and enough water to just cover them. As the mixture comes to a boil and then simmers for an hour.

Finish by thickening the sauce with a blend of cornstarch and water.

Asian oriental pork meatballs — Asian pork meatballs

🔍FAQs

Q: Can I adjust the sweetness level?

A: Absolutely. The amount of apple and sugar used can be adjusted to your preference. You can experiment with different types of apples to find the perfect balance between sweetness and tartness that suits your taste.

Q: Can I make these Chinese meatballs ahead of time?

A: Absolutely, this recipe is perfect for preparing ahead. Make a batch, freeze in portions, and warm up whenever you’re ready to enjoy.

Q: Can I cook these meatballs in a slow cooker?

A: Absolutely! You can braise them in the slow cooker as described in step three.

Q: What’s the best way to reheat leftover meatballs?

A: To reheat, gently warm the meatballs in a skillet with a bit of water or broth to prevent them from drying out. Alternatively, you can microwave them with a damp paper towel to maintain their moisture.