East Meets Southwest Bok Choy Meatballs Recipe
Yield: four servings
Time Estimate: 40 minutes overall, including 25 minutes of preparation and 15 minutes of cooking
Storage Notes: serve immediately; pork balls keep for 3 days when refrigerated
Difficulty: moderate
This is one of our favorite appetisers: a fusion
of surprisingly complementary flavours, textures, and ingredients. The
just-tender bok choy serves as the spoon, cradling Thai-style meatballs
infused with our Southwest spice.
Ingredients:
- 2 heads of baby bok choy
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (sesame, grapeseed, or similar)
- 1 egg
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 finely diced head of garlic
- 1/2 cup panko or breadcrumbs
- 4 tablespoons Gustus Vitae Condiments' Taste of the Southwest
Method:
- In a large bowl, add the pork, water, Taste of the Southwest, egg, garlic and panko/breadcrumbs.
- Mix throughly and roll into small balls, each around the size of a large marble. Set aside.
- Rinse bok choy, peel and reserve individual leaves.
- Add oil to a wok or large non-stick pan and heat on high, until just starting to smoke.
- Add the pork balls to the wok/pan, working in batches of 5-6 at a time to ensure even cooking. Cook each batch for 3-4 minutes until well browned or slightly blackened. There should not be pink in the center.
- As batches are ready, remove from wok/pan and place on paper towels to remove excess oil.
- Add soy sauce to another wok/pan (or alternatively, allow wok/pan to cool, wipe down, and reuse), and heat on high.
- When soy sauce begins to bubble, add all boy choy leaves. Cook for 1-2 minutes, tossing regularly, until leaves have wilted slightly.
- Remove leaves, and arrange on serving platter. Stack pork balls on leaves, and dust platter with Taste of the Southwest. Serve immediately.