Sweet & Sour Meatballs
Recipe: #1811
October 31, 2011
Categories: Ground Beef, Chinese, Fathers Day, Game/Sports Day, Sunday Dinner, Gluten-Free, No Eggs, Non-Dairy, Beef Dinner, Ground Beef Dinner, more
"A family favourite and one of the first recipes I think to when planing for special occasions such as our Christmas Open House or New Years Day Buffet. Great addition to a buffet, a real crowd pleaser at potlucks, a wonderful meal anytime. Often prepare double batches of meatballs baking and freezing on cookie sheets, slipping the frozen meatballs into a plastic bag all ready to go. Also allows me to take out the amount need for my meal. Great make ahead, the meatballs and sauce are also very freezer friendly. This one was a real find, the handwritten copy was tucked in a cookbook I picked up at a yard sale. Obviously they enjoyed as much as we do, printed right at the top of the recipe 'Best Ever Sweet and Sour Meatballs'- I have to agree! NOTE - having used very little in the way of sugar these past years,I am finding many recipes too sweet which has me using far less sugar than the original recipe calls for. Adjust to your taste."
Ingredients
Nutritional
- Serving Size: 1 (268.5 g)
- Calories 318.9
- Total Fat - 12.3 g
- Saturated Fat - 4.4 g
- Cholesterol - 59.3 mg
- Sodium - 248.8 mg
- Total Carbohydrate - 33.9 g
- Dietary Fiber - 2.3 g
- Sugars - 28.9 g
- Protein - 18.1 g
- Calcium - 33.1 mg
- Iron - 1.9 mg
- Vitamin C - 61.5 mg
- Thiamin - 0.3 mg
Step by Step Method
Step 1
In large mixing bowl combine and mix: ground meat, sugar, black pepper, dry ginger, soy sauce, the tapioca or cornstarch, minced onion, Chinese Five Spice Powder,the water chestnuts which are optional
Step 2
Mix and knead for at least two minutes to insure proper marination, form into even sized balls
Step 3
Fry in oil and drain (I never fry my meatballs, I put them on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about twenty minutes or until done)
Step 4
Meanwhile make the Sweet and Sour Sauce: in sauce pot on medium heat whisk together vinegar, sugar, tomato paste, the tapioca starch or cornstarch, the cup of water (or water/pineapple juice mix)
Step 5
Bring to boil stirring while cooking (using a whisk keeps it nice and smooth) when mixture reaches boiling point add the meatballs and heat through
Step 6
Add the carrots, peppers and pineapple chunks and cook until vegetables are 'just done'. Do not overcook. (I like to cook the carrots separately to avoid over cooking)
Tips
No special items needed.