I am long over due for a savory dish. If you look back at all the recipes I posted in December, it looks like we ate nothing but dessert all month. While I did eat an impressive amount of desserts, we did actually have real meals. Since it was a super busy month and slightly overwhelming, I didn’t cook a lot of new and exciting dishes. I was more focused on the holiday desserts, and that just about sucked up all my creative power. I mostly made dishes that are tried and true. But, now that is January, I am back on the wagon to start creating and sharing more all-around meals.
First up- these sticky ginger sesame pork meatballs. I am always on the lookout for meat oriented meals since we have a crazy amount of meat stored in our box freezers this year. So, this dish is actually quite simple. The meat is mixed up with a little ginger, scallions and garlic, then formed into meatballs. The meatballs are then baked, not pan fried, for a time, then tossed with the reduced sauce and placed back in the oven. Fast and easy! I served this over rice with broccoli on the side- comfort food to the max. The meatballs alone would be a great appetizer to serve at a party.
Notes
⟶ You can serve this over quinoa, rice (brown or white), rice noodles or even a bed of greens.
⟶ You are not limited to just using pork, ground chicken or turkey would also be an acceptable substitute.
⟶ Don’t like broccoli? Replace it with sweet potatoes, winter squash, potatoes, or any preferred vegetable, just adjust roasting times as necessary.
⟶ If the mixture is particularly sticky, coat your hands with a little olive oil before forming.
Recipe adapted from Half Baked Harvest
Sticky Ginger Sesame Pork Meatballs
This is an easy dish to throw together for any weeknight meal that is bursting with flavor and comforting for those cold nights. Slightly sweet, slightly spicy, this Asian inspired dish is perfect served over rice and plenty of broccoli.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pork
- 3 green onions, finely chopped, plus more for serving
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- black pepper
- 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/3 cup pomegranate juice or orange juice
- 3 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 3 Tablespoons honey
- 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- cooked rice and sesame seeds for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven 450ºF and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the ground pork, green onions, ginger, garlic and a pinch of pepper. Mix until combined. Scoop or roll the dough into tablespoon-size balls and place on one side of the baking sheet. Place the broccoli florets on the other side of the baking sheet. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through.
- Meanwhile, place the sesame oil, soy sauce, pomegranate juice, hoisin sauce, honey, rice vinegar, and crushed red pepper flakes in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 5-10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and reduced by about one third. Remove from the heat.
- Once the meatballs have cooked through, remove from the oven. Toss the meatballs in 1/2 of the sauce until coated. Check to see if the broccoli is fork tender. If it is, remove from the baking sheet, if not, leave on baking sheet. Place the meatballs back in the oven and bake for another 3 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and roll the meatballs in sesame seeds, if desired. Dish the rice into serving bowls, top with meatballs, broccoli, green onions, and drizzle with remaining sauce. Serve.
