Asian Pork Meatballs with Soy Garlic Dipping Sauce

I'm always finding these great blogs filled with fantastic recipes and I'm bookmarking away like crazy and you want to know the only bad thing about it??? I just don't have the time to make all the great food that I want to make.

I'll see a recipe and in my head I'm already putting together my grocery list and thinking about side dishes I can make to go with it, or what main course I'd want to serve before I make this fantabulous dessert. It's a sickness I tell ya.

I have a huge basketful of recipes to try. I have stack and stacks of foodie magazine with post it's sticking out of almost every last one of them and little codes to go along with them. The ones I really, really should try soon get 3 stars, the ones I want to try but maybe not just right now get 2 stars and the ones that interest me, but I know I'm really not going to get around to, get 1 star. Those poor 1 stars will never make it into the kitchen.

I did come across a 3 star recipe on a blog called Life's Ambrosia. Des has a pretty awesome blog with lots and lots of terrific recipes. She's got more 3 star recipes than all my magazine combined.

When I saw her recipe for the Asian Pork Meatballs I immediately added the ingredients to my shopping list and lo and behold....weeks later I finally got around to making them.

These meatballs were so good that I've already added them to my Christmas Eve menu. Yup you read that right. When I have a recipe that's a hit, I add it to my Excel spreadsheet for Christmas 2009. Yes, I am that OCD. I plan on making these a bit smaller so they are appetizers size. The great part is I can make these ahead of time. Cook them before my guests arrive and pop 'em in a crock pot to keep warm.

The dipping sauce came together in about 2 minutes. How easy is that? (Ok I just sounded like Ina Garten)

Des' notes: I did choose to fry these meatballs because I wanted a crispy golden brown outside with a tender flavorful inside. If you would prefer to bake them, I would recommend drizzling them with a little olive oil before cooking them in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 30 to 35 minutes or until cooked through.



Asian Pork Meatballs with Soy Garlic Dipping Sauce
recipe from Life's Ambrosia
Printable recipe
1 ½ pounds ground pork
½ cup finely minced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon dried cilantro or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon roasted sesame seeds
1 egg, beaten
2 serrano peppers, minced
½ cup plain dry breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon fish sauce
¼ cup of oil (if frying)

Preheat the oven to warm setting. In a bowl combine all the ingredients except the oil. Mix well. Roll into 20 meatballs.

If frying: Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry meatballs in batches until they are golden brown on all sides and cooked through. About 8 to 10 minutes total. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan. Transfer cooked meatballs to the oven to keep them warm while you finish cooking the remaining meatballs.

Soy Garlic Dipping Sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1-tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon granulated garlic

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and serve.

I did choose to bake these and they came out perfect after about 35 minutes in the oven.