Gently picking up a meatball with chopsticks and placing it in my mouth, a burst of delicious meaty aroma immediately fills my mouth. At the same time, the combination of vegetables and condiments adds layers of flavor and texture, making it truly delightful. Apart from being tasty, boiled meatballs also have rich nutritional value. Meat is an important source of high-quality protein, as well as containing various minerals and vitamins. Vegetables, on the other hand, provide a multitude of vitamins and fiber, which helps maintain a healthy digestive system. Therefore, consuming boiled meatballs in moderation can provide the body with necessary nutrients and enhance our immune system.
Ingredients for celery boiled meatballs
| Pork | 400g |
| Celery | 100g |
| Firm tofu | 90g |
| Green onion | 6g |
| Ginger | 5g |
| Salt | 4g |
| Chicken powder | 1g |
| Pepper powder | 2g |
| Sichuan peppercorn powder | 1g |
| Oyster sauce | 2g |
| Dark soy sauce | 3g |
| Egg | one |
| Starch | 4g |
| Scallion | 5g |
| Edible oil | 50g |
| Dried chilli | 4g |
| Green pricklyash | 3g |
| Light soy sauce | 4g |
| Sesame oil | 3g |
| Coriander | 4g |
Steps:
1.First, prepare the ingredients. Take a piece of pork and slice it, then chop it into minced meat. Place the minced meat in a bowl. Take a small handful of cleaned celery, cut it into small pieces, and add it to the bowl. Take a block of tofu and use the back of a knife to crush it, then add it to the bowl. Take a stalk of scallion, split it open in the middle, and cut it into scallion pieces. Take a small piece of ginger, chop it into ginger paste, and add it to the bowl with the minced meat. Once all the ingredients are prepared, move on to the next step.
2.Add 2 grams of salt, 1 gram of chicken powder, 1 gram of pepper powder, 1 gram of Sichuan peppercorn powder, 2 grams of oyster sauce, and a few drops of dark soy sauce to the minced meat. Mix well with your hands to season the meat. Then, crack an egg into the mixture and stir in one direction to form a batter. Pour in a little bit of crushed tofu and continue stirring. Once the tofu and minced meat are fully combined, add some celery and continue stirring. Then, add some starch to enhance the cohesiveness of the minced meat and prevent it from breaking apart.
3.Take a small handful of Chinese chives, cut them into chive pieces, and add them to the bowl. Take a small piece of ginger, flatten it with the back of a knife, and chop it into ginger paste. Add the ginger paste to the bowl with the chives. Now, we are ready to fry the meatballs.
4.Heat oil in a pan until it reaches 50% hot. Turn off the heat or remove the pan from the stove to prevent uneven cooking. Take a handful of minced meat, squeeze it between the thumb and index finger to form a meatball, and use a spoon to scoop out the meatball and place it in the pan. After the oil cools down, return the pan to the heat and gently shake it to prevent the meatballs from sticking to the bottom. Do not directly push the meatballs before they have set. You can use a spoon to gently push the oil around the edges of the pan to help the meatballs settle. Once the surface of the meatballs solidifies and sticks together, use the spoon to gently break them apart. Fry the meatballs until they turn golden brown, then remove them and drain excess oil.
5.Now, let’s start cooking the sauce. Heat oil in a pan, add a few Sichuan peppercorns and dried chili peppers, stir-fry until fragrant, then add the scallions and ginger paste. Add about half a pan of water, a little bit of light soy sauce for flavor, and a few drops of dark soy sauce for color. Add 2 grams of salt and 1 gram of pepper powder. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat. Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer for five minutes to infuse the flavor into the meatballs.
6.After five minutes, thicken the sauce with a bit of water starch, simmer until the sauce thickens, and finally drizzle some sesame oil. Now, it’s ready to be served. Garnish with some chopped scallions and cilantro leaves for added flavor. This delicious celery and pork meatball soup is now ready to be enjoyed.
Tips
1.The texture and flavor of the meatballs are influenced by the quality of the meat. Therefore, it is best to choose pork that has a good mix of lean and fatty meat to enhance the texture and aroma of the meatballs.
2.When chopping the meat, you can add a small amount of water starch to the mixture. This helps to make the meat more tender and improves the texture of the meatballs.
During the process of enjoying boiled meatballs, people can’t help but think of those wonderful family gatherings and festive celebrations. It is often an essential dish in these occasions, bringing warmth and joy to people. Whether it’s a family gathering or a dinner with friends, a delicious plate of boiled meatballs can always bring people closer and strengthen their relationships.